Ynet bars Google from using its content

March 13, 2006

Another Hebrew news Web site refused over the weekend to allow Google to use its content on the new beta version of its Israel news site.

Ynet, the Internet arm of Israel's largest daily, Yedioth Ahronoth, became the second site to rebuff the newly opened Israel branch of Google, according to a report in the Israeli business magazine TheMarker.

"We asked to be taken off Google News until we finish examining the ramifications of the Google mechanism on the issue of copyright," said Jon Feder, editor in chief of Ynet, via the magazine.

Feder said Google's usage of Ynet material could be copyright infringement, the magazine reported.

Walla!, a site owned by TheMarker parent company Ha'aretz Group, threatened legal action over copyright infringement last week.

Ynet is the third-most-viewed Web site in Israel. Google's search engine is the top-rated site, and Walla! is second.

Google emphasized with the launch that the site is not professionally edited. Rather, the site is run by software whose algorithm determines which online news stories are most popular and posts links accordingly.

As of Sunday afternoon in Israel most of the stories appearing on the Google News homepage were from the Ha'aretz daily and TheMarker.

Google News Israel's surprise launch last week came on the heels of an announcement the search-engine giant would build a new research-and-development center in Haifa.

Since the company set up shop in Israel, its regional chief Meir Brand has kept mum about the company's plans for the country. At the company's official Israel launch he said only that the company planned to tailor its services to the unique characteristics of the Israeli Web surfer.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International