French watchdog fines Google 250M euros for AI IP infringement

Due to a violation of EU copyright laws during AI training, Google agreed to pay a fine of 250 million euros to the French competition authorities. The competition watchdog of the French government fined Google for previously violating property rights (IP) laws in the European Union that affected its media publishers.

The French Competition Authority raised concerns about Google’s AI tool, Gemini (formerly Bard), claiming it trained on content from regional news organizations and publishers without the required consent or notification.

 Google responded to the consequences on its blog in French, saying it was the “first and only platform” having license deals with 280 French press publications, worth “several tens of millions of euros per year.”

The Big Tech corporation alleges that its fine from the French authorities stems from “the way” it handled negotiations with the firms, and they have also asked it to modify its negotiation strategies.

To put an end to a matter that, in its own words, “has been open for too long,” Google agreed to pay the fine and comply with this demand.

“We have compromised because it is time to turn the page and, as our many agreements with publishers prove, we want to focus on sustainable approaches to connect Internet users with quality content and work constructively with French publishers.”

Google’s Response and Recent Developments in France

The business described the fine as “disproportionate” in light of the flaws the French watchdog pointed out. Additionally, it stated that in an environment where it is very complicated to define a course of action when one may not anticipate a specific direction, the authorities do not sufficiently acknowledge Google’s efforts to address their numerous criticisms.

Google’s fine is related to a copyright dispute lawsuit that started in France as a result of complaints over online content from some of the top news organizations in the nation, including Agence France Presse.

The revelation of the new hub’s location in the French capital dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI) coincided with Google and the government’s announcement on February 19. The center will be located in Paris and it will support the nation’s AI goals with the help of 300 researchers and engineers.

The Mistral large language model and the new AI business Mistral AI are likewise based in France. In collaboration with the company, Microsoft will make the Mistral LLM available on Azure AI Studio and Azure Machine Learning.