It’s not often that you get to watch a company miss the point so completely, but AP has decided that the web doesn’t matter. Their president is quoted in a New York Times article as saying that a basic link is “unpaid use” that they’ll crack down on. I first found out about this from Glenn Reynolds’ Instapundit, and it seems almost too stupid to be true. Next up, I’m sure, is a legal attack on any television or radio talking head who mentions that the AP is covering a story without shipping them a check, as well. (In truth, I suspect that almost anyone with access to a broadcast mic or camera is working for an organization with an agreement in place to use AP stories, but the point remains.)

I agree that repackaging stories wholesale is bad, and should be punished. It’s also already against the law. The idea that someone driving traffic your way should pay for the privilege is so wrong-headed as to be mind-boggling. I know that publishers are rather desperately casting about for new revenue streams, but we’ve seen that rampant stupidity didn’t serve them well through the 90s and early years of this decade — it seems unlikely that idiocy will turn out to be a winning strategy now.

For the record, if you’d like to quote from any of my posts in order to link back to this site, feel free. Let me know if I can make it easier. At least I understand how the web works — unlike some of the highly-paid executives in my industry.

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Categories: Media, Publications
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