SFN: Norway’s online newspaper revenues reach 290 million euro - up 61 per cent in two years

Online newspapers in Norway generated nearly €290 million in 2007, up 61 per cent from about €180 million in 2005, according to the International Newsmedia Marketing Association (through SFN Blog).

Display and classified revenues increased 41.7 per cent. Search and listing up 112.5 per cent.

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Telegraph goes Polish for sports fans

Telegraph.co.uk has published a Polish version of a report on Poland’s progress in Euro 2008 - thanks to Jon Buscall for the email.

The article by Kat Mochlinski is available in both English and Polish with a link between the articles.

With The Sun running a print edition in Polish for Euro 2008 and having already trialled a Polish version of its website, this Telegraph tactic could attract more than just football fans.

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Belgian newspapers seeking £39m damages from Google

A group of Belgian newspapers are seeking up to £39m (€49m) in damages from Google for the search giant publishing and storing their content without permission or offering payment.

Last year Google lost a case brought against it by the Copiepresse group - an organisation that represents the French language press in Belgium - forcing it to remove cached versions of newspaper articles and take down content from its Google News service

The organisation’s secretary-general told Bloomberg yesterday it had summoned Google to appear again before a Brussels court so that it could decide on the damages. Copiepresse is seeking between €32.8 and 49.1m.

The damages would be in addition to the €25,000 (£20,000) daily fine imposed on Google by the court for each day it kept Copiepresse material on its site.

Google appealed the original court decision of February 2007, which ruled that it could not claim ‘fair use’ - acceptable under copyright law – for using a lines of text and linking to the original article.

A Google spokesperson told Bloomberg that it was still awaiting the results of its appeal and that it had not received notification from Copiepresse of any new court dates.

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FollowTheMedia site faces closure

News and commentary website FollowTheMedia could be shut down unless €35,000 (£27,444) is raised by May 16.

FTM, which focuses primarily on US and European media news and analysis, did not give any reasons for the potential closure in an announcement on its site.

The site is urging readers to make donations or register for membership - annual membership costs €99. Alternatively sponsorship packages are available for €1,000 a year.

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French court finds website guilty of privacy breach for linking

Last week a French court found a website guilty of breach the privacy of actor Olivier Martinez because it linked to a story about him (hat tip Cybersoc).

The site, Fuzz.fr, had linked to a gossip website which was carrying a story about the actor’s relationship with Australian singer Kylie Minogue.

In landmark ruling for the French online world, the court decided that Fuzz.fr has taken ‘an editorial decision’ to link to the other site and was therefore responsible for the content.

The site, which allows users to post their own links, was taken offline shortly after the ruling.

“It’s a black day for French participatory websites, because it opens the door to all kinds of (court) procedures,” Fuzz’s creator Eric Dupin told AFP.

According to a report on Yahoo News, Dupin was ordered to pay 2,500 euros in damages and legal costs.

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Citizen journalist ’sells’ video for €100,000

A video from French citizen journalism website Citizenside is expected to generate €100,000 (£75,285) of revenue after being sold to Paris Match, the Editors Weblog reports, with a commission rate of between 50 and 75 per cent going to the amateur creator.

The footage from Citizenside, which recently signed a partnership with Agence France-Presse, was of the newsworthy former Société Générale trader Jérôme Kerviel signing a statement at a police station, according to the report.

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