Club To Protect Online News Content

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Club to protect online news content

By ASINA PORNWASIN

THE NATION

Published on September 25, 2009

Major news groups yesterday jointly committed themselves to enriching the value of their online content while countering the threat from copy-and-paste websites and "netizens" used to getting everything for free.

While the formation of the Online News Producers Club was aimed primarily at protecting the proprietary material of news websites, it may underline the readiness of the print-media industry, which also operates most of the top news websites, to find a firmer commercial foothold in cyberspace.

A joint declaration forming the club was signed by 13 major online news-content providers: ASTV Manager, Thai Rath Online, Daily News Online, Matichon, Post Publishing, the Nation Multimedia Group, Siam Sport, INN Online, Thansettakij Online, Dara Daily Online, Nawnha Online, Siam Rath Online and Thai Post Online.

This is the first formal collaboration of journalists to deal with the current situation where many commercial websites borrow copyrighted material to post on their websites without permission.

The club will be patient and diplomatic at first in trying to convince the commercial websites with pirated news to halt their activities, said Nation Broadcasting president Adisak Limprungpatanakij.

The club wants them to add RSS feeds to their websites, so visitors interested in articles can receive the news from their sources directly, he said.

NO TO PIRACY

"We don't want to limit the news accessibility of people, but we want the owners of commercial websites to be aware of the fact that we have to invest in news production, so they should respect the copyrighted content and not pirate it," Adisak said.

"We always welcome them to make a link back to the original source of news. That would be a better way out for both the websites and the news producers."

The club will select its president and form committees to map out a strategy and measures to promote the proper use of online news among Internet communities and websites.

With news groups still struggling to find a workable online business model, the situation has been hampered by the proliferation of pirated content on commercial websites, a big stumbling block to any plan to charge readers for online news.

All news websites in Thailand are now free, but media-industry observers believe local operators will sooner or later follow the trend of their Western counterparts, who are moving faster towards charging for online news.

While online ad revenue has been increasing, the rise is not fast enough for the print industry to make a drastic switch to a virtual business. Trying to charge readers also carries a risk of sabotaging present online ad revenue, which depends largely on the number of visitors to each website.

-- The Nation 2009/09/25

[Meridian007]

- countering the threat from copy-and-paste websites and "netizens" used to getting everything for free.

- This is the first formal collaboration of journalists to deal with the current situation where many commercial websites borrow copyrighted material to post on their websites without permission.

- All news websites in Thailand are now free, but media-industry observers believe local operators will sooner or later follow the trend of their Western counterparts, who are moving faster towards charging for online news.

Hmm, I disagree with point number 3, most western news outlets that force their readers to buy a paid subscription find out very quickly that most are unwilling to do so, and switch back to ad revenue. One of the primary reasons the internet became popular was the free transmission of information across great distances.

I hope it won't affect things here, with TV's connection to the Bangkok Post, there shouldn't be problems with quoting from there.

The question is will this become a crackdown on the dissemination of news from many sources, or is Thailand trying to become a hub of information control? <joke>

I'm sure that this is just another of those ill thought out corporate ideas that will fail once it's put into practice. If these groups shut down our ability to get news from them freely, and spread this news as we like, we will just find another source.

[MarkBKK]

I hope it won't affect things here, with TV's connection to the Bangkok Post, there shouldn't be problems with quoting from there.

Is that a done deal? I haven't heard anything ...

The question is will this become a crackdown on the dissemination of news from many sources, or is Thailand trying to become a hub of information control? <joke>

Hmmm ... pretty sure it's a way of trying to stop people stealing content ...

I'm sure that this is just another of those ill thought out corporate ideas that will fail once it's put into practice. If these groups shut down our ability to get news from them freely, and spread this news as we like, we will just find another source.

Hmmmm .... sure you meant to say ''If these groups shut down our ability to steal news from them freely'', but hey-ho. Some people understand the difference between theft and ... er ... stealing.

[RKASA]

Charging for the news.  Well some large papers get away with charging for the paper, but it covers the cost of paper and distribution and has to be a popular paper.  The news is paid for by the sale of ads and the classified.  

Many towns in the US have free local papers even door to door.  The number of papers that get printed and delivered determine the amount they can get for the ads space.  They send the paper boy around and try to get people to sign up, but if you don't the paper just keeps coming.

The idea that charging for online news is a wet dream, and if they do, it well be a short lived news outlet.   Better think outside the box if they want to be doing news online.  

The eye balls you get from us are free we won't charge you for making your ads space worth something and you don't charge us for the news.   Deal

How long does Thaivisa last if it charges us to be here.  Think about it.

Dealing with those that take news story and reprint them in other sites is supported.  They have no right to take someone else's work and distribute it.   Making a ref. to or a small quote of a news piece in conversation I think is different then copy paste to a site for web content purposes, thats just stealing and should be stopped.  I would not be to happy if they take my photo's and used them as they wanted without permission ether.