AP tries to shut Google barn door years after horses ran out

I’m not going to knock the effort of the Associated Press to get Google, Yahoo, et al, ask before using any AP work, or even at the effort behind the effort – getting a slice of Google ad money.

But, the reality?

Not gonna happen.

First, Reuters and AFP have both expanded their U.S. presence in the past few years to a degree that Google could largely ignore the AP, or at least bargain for lower prices with the other providers.

If the three try to force a unified bid? Oh, you’re way into antitrust land there, and, even with the current newspaper climate, I’m not sure Justice would smile on that too much.

Second, why the hell did the AP not have a broader-ranging sourcing agreement with Google et al in the first place? WTF?

If Dean Singleton wants to talk about the problems, Problem No. 1 is probably staring him in the mirror.