Exclusive: Initiative paid by Google falsified publisher´s signatures

Few days ago the influential Brussels news site Politico published statement of small publishers (European Innovative Media Publishers - EIMP). They urge politicians to mitigate article 11 of copyright directive, which is currently finalized. The initiative has met with a big response from politicians and at least one member state has changed its position. As INFO.CZ found out, the signatures are partly fake and initiative, which is paid by Google, admits it.

"I was never informed that something like this is going to be published and I don’t agree with statements in the document. European Parliament has my full support with introducing Copyright Directive and I fully agree with Article 11, "wrote Dalibor Balšínek, owner and editor of the news website Echo24, who is signed on the statement.

Article 11 contains the most sensitive passages of the directive. In the end it could mean that technology giants such as Google will pay to publishers for using their content. Technological companies are trying to avoid these payments, and for months they have had an irresistible struggle with publishing houses inside the EU institutions.

However EIMP responded to Balšínek´s email and admited that the signature is fake. According to INFO.CZ Echo24 is not the only project with falsified signature. „We totally understand and was never the intention of the coalition to by any means misrepresent your company," says the initiative in the answer.

A large part of the small media projects (not Echo24) that have appeared on the statement have one linker. This is the money small publishers are receiving through the Google News Initiative (GNI) technology grant scheme.

 

sinfin.digital