Major German News Sites Opt for Google Exposure

Major German publishers have decided to continue allowing Google to display extracts of their articles despite campaigning to tighten copyright rules for online news.

Google has said it will now only display material from publishers who have "opted in" to have free extracts appear on its news page.

The move follows a new copyright law coming into force on August 1 covering how news aggregators show other companies' content. Internet firms have warned that the law amounts to a tax on search engines that could backfire against publishers hoping to attract readers.

Springer AG, publisher of the mass-circulation tabloid Bild and national daily Die Welt, said Thursday it still expects to receive money from Google eventually. Spiegel Online and Zeit Online have also opted into Google News for now.