A new study commissioned by German media rights group Corint Media has reignited debate over how publishers should be compensated for their content in an era of AI-driven search. The report claims Google rightly owes German publishers €1.3 billion annually for using journalistic material in features like AI Overviews.
At the centre of the dispute is Google’s use of AI-generated summaries in search results to answer queries directly on the page. Media organisations say this deprives them of referral traffic, undermining a key source of funding for journalism. The study (published in German), produced by consulting firm FehrAdvice & Partners, attempts to quantify the scale of this shift by analysing Google’s estimated €8 billion in annual search ad revenue in Germany. Of that, it attributes €4.4 billion to informational searches and €3.2 billion specifically to searches that surface journalistic content. The €1.3 billion figure is put forward as a fairer share for publishers.
Corint Media managing director Dr Christine Jury-Fischer said that platforms using journalistic content without fair payment posed a serious risk to the financial sustainability of the news industry. Co-CEO Markus Runde called the estimate conservative and said the real figure could be higher.
The claim arrives as the German Patent and Trademark Office reviews ongoing disagreements over licensing payments and considers whether to move to arbitration. Corint Media represents a number of private broadcasters and publishers in Germany and has previously clashed with Google over the value of news content in its services.
The latest report is backed by signs of a real-world impact. According to Press Gazette, some leading news sites saw an average 12% fall in Google Search traffic after the full roll-out of AI Overviews in the US. Although the feature has not yet launched in Europe, many publishers fear similar losses when it does – especially if users no longer need to click through to read original reporting.
The debate in Germany mirrors a wider global push to define how AI companies use news content and what compensation, if any, they should pay. Some platforms, such as Reddit, have begun charging for access to their data. Others, including eight major US newspapers, have filed lawsuits against OpenAI and Microsoft alleging unauthorised scraping of copyrighted material. Their suit described the practice as “one of the most brazen and massive thefts of intellectual property in modern history”.
Regulators are also beginning to act. In the US, California lawmakers are advancing the Journalism Preservation Act, which would force Google and others to pay for the use of news. Google has responded by threatening to remove news links from its search engine entirely if the legislation passes.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://winbuzzer.com/2025/06/12/google-vs-publishers-german-media-demands-e1-3-billion-for-ai-overviews-xcxwbn/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/feb/28/news-media-europe-google-lawsuit-ad-revenue – In February 2024, 32 European media groups, including Axel Springer and Schibsted, filed a €2.1 billion lawsuit against Google, alleging that the company abused its dominant position in digital advertising, leading to significant losses for publishers. The lawsuit claims that Google’s practices resulted in reduced advertising revenues for media companies, which could have been reinvested to strengthen the European media landscape. Google dismissed the lawsuit as ‘speculative and opportunistic’, stating that it works constructively with publishers across Europe.
- https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-europe-germany-fab10f19780323a8e18944c5225128ac – In 2023, Google reached agreements with several large German publishers, including Der Spiegel and Die Zeit, to avoid copyright disputes over the use of their material. These agreements followed the introduction of a new ancillary copyright law in Germany, which grants publishers additional rights over their content. The deals aim to prevent costly and lengthy lawsuits by compensating publishers for the use of their content on Google’s platforms.
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/google-to-pay-german-publishers-3-2-million-per-year-on-interim-basis/articleshow/104378640.cms – In October 2023, Google agreed to pay German publishers €3.2 million annually for the use of their news content, pending a decision from the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) on the final compensation amount. This interim agreement with Corint Media, which represents the interests of German and international publishers, was reached to avoid disputes over the use of press content without compensation. The DPMA’s decision is expected to lead to a higher remuneration for publishers.
- https://cepr.org/voxeu/blogs-and-reviews/paying-news-what-google-and-meta-owe-publishers – A study by the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) examines the economic value created by the collaboration between large digital platforms like Google and news content creators. The research suggests that platforms retain the overwhelming share of the jointly created value, with news publishers receiving only a small fraction. The study estimates a multi-billion dollar annual shortfall in payments owed to news publishers, highlighting the need for fair compensation for the use of their content.
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawoollacott/2024/03/20/google-fined-for-failure-to-negotiate-with-publishers-in-good-faith/ – In March 2024, the French competition authority fined Google for failing to negotiate with publishers in good faith regarding the use of their content for training its AI model, Bard. The authority found that Google used content from press agencies and publishers without notifying them, breaching its commitments. Google agreed to the findings and offered measures to address the breaches, although it considered the fine disproportionate to the shortcomings identified.
- https://www.law.com/2019/09/12/google-wins-legal-battle-with-german-publishers-over-news-snippet-fees/ – In September 2019, the EU’s Court of Justice ruled that a German provision requiring Google to pay for excerpts appearing on its Google News service was invalid because the European Commission had not been notified of the regulation. The case marked the ongoing legal battle between internet service providers and publishers over compensation for the distribution of news products. German publishers had previously demanded as much as €1 billion in copyright fees from Google for their news snippets.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative presents recent developments, including Corint Media’s €1.3 billion claim against Google, dated June 12, 2025. However, similar discussions about Google’s AI Overviews and their impact on publishers have been reported since at least June 2024. ([pymnts.com](https://www.pymnts.com/cpi-posts/googles-ai-search-engine-threatens-media-industry-amid-antitrust-concerns/?utm_source=openai)) The report appears to be based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No significant discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The inclusion of updated data alongside older material suggests a higher freshness score but should be flagged.
Quotes check
Score:
9
Notes:
Direct quotes from Corint Media’s managing director, Dr. Christine Jury-Fischer, and Co-CEO Markus Runde are included. These quotes appear to be original, with no identical matches found in earlier material. The absence of online matches raises the score but flags the content as potentially original or exclusive.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The narrative originates from WinBuzzer, a less well-known outlet. While it references Corint Media, a reputable organisation, the lack of widespread coverage raises questions about the reliability of the source. The report’s reliance on a press release from Corint Media adds credibility but also suggests potential bias.
Plausability check
Score:
7
Notes:
The claim that Google owes German publishers €1.3 billion annually for the use of their journalistic material is plausible, given ongoing disputes over content compensation. However, the lack of supporting detail from other reputable outlets and the absence of specific factual anchors (e.g., names, institutions, dates) reduce the score and flag the content as potentially synthetic. The tone and language are consistent with the region and topic, and no excessive or off-topic detail unrelated to the claim is present.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative presents a recent claim by Corint Media against Google, with direct quotes from its executives. While the claim is plausible and the quotes appear original, the reliance on a press release from a less well-known outlet and the lack of supporting detail from other reputable sources raise questions about the report’s reliability and the authenticity of the content.
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