Yesterday was a day of sad memory for all the people who see on the Internet a medium where freedom is the main protagonist. And it is that the Culture Commission of the Congress approved the reform of the Intellectual Property Law, which is possibly one of the most dire laws and most interested in the history of the Internet in Spain. Within this law is included the AEDE canon - also known as #rategoogle - which imposes a inalienable right for any Spanish website for which a collection right is generated whenever another website links or quotes it, something that clearly goes against the very essence of the internet.
Why the rate name Google?
The name Google rate has its origin in that the search engine was the first target of this rate. The members of AEDE (Association of Spanish Newspaper Editors) had been denouncing for some time that the Google news service was generating major losses since they used part of its contents (to be exact the headline and a small extract of 2 lines) to enrich themselves at the expense of the work carried out by these means. Obviously, this claim has little foundation for several reasons:
- The media that appear in Google News they do it voluntarily. Unsubscribing from the service is very simple but they are not interested because it is an important source of traffic for them ... Here the AEDE media have a double standard, on the one hand they complain about the economic damages but at the same time they compete to have the greatest possible visibility in the service.
- Google news does not show advertising in Spain so it is false that the search engine is profiting from this service.
- The vast majority of readers are not only looking for the headline of the news but they want to read it in depth so it is false that they are stealing traffic from the AEDE media, rather they are generating it.
Does the rate only affect Google?
This is an important point, since although the name of the Google rate may make people think that it only affects the search engine, the truth is that the law has been drafted in such a way that affects all web pages and services. Once the law is implemented, any article that links or cites another website will be a candidate to be charged for it, which is sheer madness. Among the main companies affected would be Facebook and Twitter in the lead, since social networks are a very common channel for sharing news from the media. And of course, we already know that everything that is an appointment and a link will be persecuted by the canon ... Another of the companies strongly affected and that already announced that this law forces them to leave Spain is Meneame. The company has already been pronounced in these terms through its main promoters. And it will not be the only one, since the legal framework in which the Internet is in Spain is very insecure, which will undoubtedly make many entrepreneurs who are considering starting new projects do so from outside our country. Then we have to see how politicians fill their mouths talking about the new economic models, red carpets for entrepreneurs, ... but the harsh reality is that every day they make it more difficult for someone to want to open a digital business in Spain.
What if the media does not want to charge?
This is the key point of the law, since the right will be inalienable. In other words, all websites will be obliged to charge those websites that cite or link them regardless of whether they use CopyLeft licenses or if they clearly express their waiver of charging for it.
And who will get paid and how will it be distributed?
To continue with all this nonsense, the collection of said fee will be carried out by CEDRO, a copyright management entity that at the time was in charge of collecting the digital canon. It is not yet clear how the booty generated with this rate but everything indicates that it will be the AEDE itself who will be in charge of distributing it among its partners. Does it sound like something? I imagine so, since it is a model very similar to the one followed by the SGAE to raise money for copyright. Said in a way clear and open, the canon will generate income among all the websites and blogs in the world but this money will be distributed among a few…. the same ones who have pressured the government to pass the law.
How much do you estimate to raise?
As is being announced on the Internet, a collection of about 80 million euros per year. It is not clear where this figure has come from and who is going to pay it finally since Meneame has already announced that they cannot pay and will leave the country and from Google it has already been hinted that if they continue forward they will close Google News in Spain. 
And how is the government promoting this madness?
The government seeks with this movement wink at the media and earn their favor. The traditional media are immersed in an endless crisis that is generating ERES and infinite losses, so these 80 million euros a year will come in handy. They will not be enough to square their dire numbers but it will certainly help make the blow less harsh. And logically the media will return the favor with more servility and less critical journalism.
Are all media in agreement?
Not at all. Most of the traditional media - the smaller ones mainly - and the digital natives are totally against this law and therefore have created a Pro Internet Coalition to try to stop it. Google is also present in this coalition (of which Actualidad Blog, the company that owns Vinagreasesino, is also a part). They miss that Twitter and Facebook are not part since they are clear objectives of this law, although it is possibly due to the fact that their presence in Spain is purely commercial and they do not have qualified personnel to understand what is coming to them.
More damages from the canon
In addition to the entire economic issue, the reality is that this law has a much more important implication than clearly affects internet freedom. And it is that prohibiting the links prohibits the essence of the Internet and it prevents citizens from discovering new media or blogs with quality content. If the government succeeds in prohibiting people from share blogs and websites on Twitter, Facebook or Menéame this will make it almost impossible for articles or news from anonymous media to spread. This will undoubtedly help the mainstream media as they will once again become the only valid voice. We will give a step back from 10 years returning to an internet where only the established media - those that mainly form AEDE - will have an impact on the network. I know they will silence the discordant voices and everything will return to that peace situation (or censorship) where to control public opinion it will be enough to control the 4 main media in Spain ...
Una very regrettable law that if we don't do something to remedy it, it will soon be approved by the Senate.
And if I am a user, how do I show my disagreement with this law?
If you are a user and want to join the protest, our advice is that help in the boycott that is being organized to stop visiting websites that belong to media linked to AEDE. In this article you can find out how to block AEDE media in your browser.