Aggregator NewsNow drops newspaper links in NLA dispute

News aggregator NewsNow will remove links to some newspaper websites following a dispute with the Newspaper Licensing Agency (NLA).

The site will no longer include links to NLA member sites, which covers 18 publishers, including the Guardian and Daily Telegraph, its subscription service.

NewsNow has failed to reach an agreement with the NLA over plans to introduce a licensing system for commercial services, such as aggregators, using links to newspaper websites, forcing the removal of the links as a precautionary measure, it said in a release. The new license will come into force on 1 January.

Earlier this month the NLA, which is owned by eight UK national newspaper publishers, said it had reached agreement with almost all press cutting agencies and web aggregators over the licensing, but a small number of web aggregators who charge some customers were yet to agree terms.

According to the statement from NewsNow's managing director and chairman Struan Bartlett, the threat of legal action against the service if it failed to sign up by 10 December forced the aggregator to remove the links.

The site published an open letter to newspaper groups back in October urging them to drop their legal threats against the site for linking to their content.

Bartlett said he maintains that agency's demands are "unacceptable and of questionable legitimacy".

"Irrespective of the lack of a legal basis, the NLA's licence is not fit for purpose. This is not just about the charges they intend to impose on us, but the charges they would also impose on our customers for receiving and circulating links within their own organisations. In addition, it is a perhaps an under-reported fact that the terms dictated by the NLA scheme would oblige us to hand over customer details to the NLA, which seems to be developing a potential rival service itself. It is hard to imagine that this kind of behaviour would be tolerated in any other sector," said Bartlett.

"The NLA has also offered no reasonable guarantees of limitations on the increase of costs over time. We strongly feel that to accept the NLA's terms would set a dangerous precedent restricting our customers' ability to conduct their business freely. We see this as a 'slippery slope' towards any free-to-access website demanding licence fees from any organisation for circulating or clicking on links."

Speaking to Journalism.co.uk about NewsNow in October, a spokesperson for the NLA said the agency supported NewsNow's non-commercial services, for example its free feeds to consumers.

NewsNow today confirmed that its free services would not be affected by the changes to its paid-for service and links to NLA members sites would not be removed from its free-to-access sites.

"We want links back to publishers' sites and understand their centrality to the internet," he said. With regards to NewsNow's commercial activity, such as its bespoke feeds for clients, the agency said it is seeking to "license and legitimise this activity - not stop it".

"The NLA believes a legitimate and thriving market in web cuttings - with fair shares for content creators and distributors - will be better for all," the spokesman said.

The agency released a letter co-signed by seven UK newspaper groups last month, including Independent News & Media, Guardian News & Media and Telegraph Media Group, calling for a clamp down on re-use of their content and backing the NLA's licensing system.

"Most media monitoring organisations welcome the clear endorsement of their services that this licence structure will create; it clarifies that the copying and use of content required for these monitoring services has the publishers' blessing. This legitimacy removes uncertainty over what is and is not allowed and encourages investment in new and better services," the letter said.

Free daily newsletter

If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).