The French, who gave the world America, have asked Google to pay for the internet in return.
After centuries of not collecting on their propping up of the US terrorist overthrow of their popular King, the French have decided to call in their debt.
The cunning plan is to make sure that Google, and other providers of Web content pay for French telecom networks.
A French Minister claims that Google isn't contributing enough to the costs of telecom networks and may be subject to new proposals mandating payments, a French minister said.
According to the Times of India the French government Eric Besson told reporters in Paris today that it seemed unfair that the glorious French taxpayer should pay for the Internet when those who ate hamburgers in a US Googleplex did not stump up any cash.
After all, the French invented the Internet, the Wheel, and a brilliant method of eating invertebrates and amphibians which no one else in the world had attempted before. So it is time that these American upstarts started paying tribute to all things French.
Besson plans to convene a working group including Internet companies with "the objective that services that occupy the largest part of French networks to contribute to their deployment and maintenance.
Europe's largest telecom operators have apparently been twisting the minister's arm lately because they are miffed that they have to invest heavily in networks to cope with the growth of services like Google YouTube.
France Telecom Chief Executive Officer Stephane Richard, Telefonica SA CEO Cesar Alierta and Telecom Italia SpA CEO Franco Bernabe have all said Internet companies are getting an unfair deal from their networks.
Besson said that these nasty foreign countries don't pay any tax in France, and occupy at the same time rule the French market. He said that their bottom lines were bulging due to the investments of operators, the Times of India reports.
Things seem to be getting harder for Google in France lately - it might be time for the Google resistance to start blowing up bridges.
.jpg){kind=icon}
I felt the irony of your comments, but the invaders of our screens have to pay, their nationality is not relevant, but their dominance must be balanced and their contribution will make legitimate.
The French have contributed to the design of Internet as we know it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CYCLADES).
Maybe the term "journalist" is actually not appropriate for someone practising your job and I hope I didn't offend by using it...
My opinion is that Youtube and Facebook who use a huge part of the broadband and make huge profit out of it should take part in the investment on the networks.
Like the trials against Microsoft and Google for abuse of dominant position, I think it should be followed by other European countries and that there should be a European tax for that. That would apply to any big company using the network not just the American ones.
Arguably, if some companies do not want to contribute, they can feel free to stay away from Europe and focus on China...
Coûts de télécommunications français doivent être pesés en comparant leurs avantages en cette ère de l'Internet en ce qui concerne les coûts de faire des affaires où il ya une absence de l'Internet, le coût de la modernisation des équipements de communication devrait ensuite être soustraits, et le montant que la différence dans le pourcentage de la rémunération devrait être accordée à Google, car il est l'impulsion pour l'utilisation et d'enquête et de recherche, bref, le catalyseur de ces avantages.
Hidden est la main qui remue l'estomac du gambit de Napoloran!.
Anyway, If companies like Google didn't pay up what would you do? Ban them?
Yes, nature abhors a vacuum, the place will not remain open long, and them knowing the new rules, will pay