Google agrees to pay for Wikipedia content material

Google has agreed to pay Wikipedia for content material displayed by its search engine, mirroring offers the US tech large has struck with information shops in Europe.

The Wikimedia Basis, the charity that oversees the online encyclopedia, mentioned Google was the primary paying buyer for its business enterprise Wikimedia Enterprise, which it launched final 12 months.

The Web Archive, a non-profit that runs a website referred to as the Wayback Machine that saves snapshots of internet sites and is used to repair Wikipedia hyperlinks, might be supplied the business companies at no cost.

“We’re thrilled to be working with them each as our longtime companions,” mentioned Wikimedia’s Lane Becker in an announcement on Tuesday.

Wikipedia, one of many world’s most visited web sites, is free to make use of, up to date by volunteers and depends on donations to maintain afloat.

The brand new business arm is not going to change that association for particular person customers, the muse mentioned.

Google makes use of materials from the location for its “data panel”—a sidebar that accompanies the principle search outcomes.

The supply of the data will not be all the time proven, a follow that had sparked complaints from Wikimedia.

Google has beforehand given cash to Wikipedia by means of donations and grants.

“We now have lengthy supported the Wikimedia Basis in pursuit of our shared objectives of increasing data and knowledge entry for individuals in every single place,” mentioned Google’s Tim Palmer.

The muse’s assertion didn’t reveal the worth of the Google contract.

French regulators and Google on Tuesday ended a years-long dispute by agreeing a framework for the US agency to pay information shops for content material.

Google mentioned it had already made offers with a whole bunch of reports shops throughout Europe, Agence France-Presse amongst them.

© 2022 AFP