In a media where the shelf life (and value) of content is measured in minutes, Google's answers the question about the value of old newspaper content by pulling the plug on its scan project. About six years ago publishers became obsessed with the idea of converting their archives into digital formats to create new revenue streams. Unfortunately, it didn't work then and it wasn't working for Google. Simply put, "Old news is old news and its isn't worth paying for."
Google might have near-boundless ambition, but every now and then it throws in the towel. The most recent example: a project to scan newspapers for publication online.
Instead, Google told the Phoenix that it's focusing on "newer projects that help the industry, such as Google One Pass, a platform that enables publishers to sell content and subscriptions directly from their own sites."
The paper also said Google is waiving the fee it had planned to charge newspapers to purchase the digital scans, including rights to use it elsewhere with other partners.
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