Google loses to Belgian newspapers in court

A court in Belgium has ordered Google to stop reproducing content from Belgian newspapers, a Belgian news association said Monday.

The Belgian Association of Newspaper Editors, which handles copyright for the French- and German-speaking press in the country, brought the complaint against Google.

The Belgian Court of First Instance will fine Googleone million euros($1.4 million Cdn) every day if it continues to publish Belgian newspaper copy without permission or without paying a fee, the association said.

The association's secretary general, Margaret Boribon, said each newspaper will decide on fees for their articles, so it's not yet clear how much Google would owe Belgian newspapers.

The court's ruling was issued Sept. 5. As of Monday morning, links and summaries of articles on Belgian newspaper websites, such as Le Soir en ligne, La Libre Belgique and DH net, were still available on Google News Belgium.