Google Begins Hosting News on Its Site

Associated Press

Google Begins Hosting News on Its Site

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE 08.31.07, 5:22 PM ET

SAN FRANCISCO -

Internet search leader Google Inc. on Friday began hosting material produced by The Associated Press and three other news services on its own Web site instead of only sending readers to other destinations.

The change affects hundreds of stories and photographs distributed each day by the AP, Agence France-Presse, The Press Association in the United Kingdom and The Canadian Press. It could diminish Internet traffic to other media sites where those stories and photos are also found - a development that could reduce the online advertising revenue of newspapers and broadcasters.

Google (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ) negotiated licensing deals with the AP and French news agency during the past two years after the services raised concerns about whether the search engine had been infringing on their copyrights. The Mountain View-based company also reached licensing agreements with The Press Association and The Canadian Press during the same period.

Financial terms of those deals haven't been disclosed.

The new approach doesn't change the look of Google News or affect the way the section treats material produced by other media.