Spain has recently approved a "Google tax" law that forces Google News (and other sites) to pay for each and every link to the news sites. Google's answer came swiftly: they'll shutdown Google News in Spain... and then things get even weirder.
Unlike Germany, where news editors tried to shake down Google but then backtracked when they saw their visits plummet, in Spain things are nastier, as the law doesn't even allow for news sites to provide their links for free. So, Google says it has no other option than to shutdown Google News in Spain, reminding that it doesn't even show ads and its main purpose is to direct users back to the news sites.
So... what comes next? Just what you might imagine... Now editors are asking for the government help to prevent Google from shutting down Google News!
Yes, you're reading it right: first you promote a law to make Google pay for promoting your own content; then, when Google says "no, thanks" you dig even deeper by trying to prevent them from not playing along. Reality is indeed stranger than fiction...
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