by Search Copywriter
D. Warburton
D. Warburton
Microsoft is revealed to be in early discussions with Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation to remove their news content from Google's search engine and host them exclusively on Bing.If such a deal went ahead, it would be a landmark event in the history of the internet, which has thus far largely thrived on providing an open platform for consumers and businesses. If exclusive agreements are reached to omit content from certain search engines, customers are faced with a scenario that The New York Times likens to the model of cable TV subscription, as major companies compete for exclusive content and users have to pick sides.
Removing content from the world's leading search engine is a risky gambit, but one that Murdoch seems only too happy to play. Earlier news suggested that the media mogul planned to introduce a subscription service for News Corporation content, explaining that his company "would rather have fewer people coming to our Web sites, but paying."
However, this new information suggests that Murdoch is looking to strike an online deal with a company willing to pay for it - which may or may not be Microsoft.
According to Danny Sullivan of Search Engine Land, it will take a great effort for Microsoft to offer a quantity of News Corporation content that could compete with Google's news offering. Mr Sullivan explains: "My reaction is that this is probably more of Murdoch trying to put pressure on Google for a deal than anything else."
So whether News Corporation's latest development is a strong hand or a calculated bluff, it is believed that the open tradition of internet culture will count strongly against such an exclusive arrangement.
Founder of Craiglist, Craig Newmark, believes: "The spirit of the Internet is about people working with each other, and that is part of the Google ethic. I think this move would strengthen Google."
