A string of digital media companies producing story ideas based on unfulfilled online searches face a new adversary in the form of Google.

According to a report in the Financial Times, the search engine registered a patent earlier this year for “a system that would help it identify ‘inadequate content'” online and subsequently provide ideas for desired news stories.

This service could then be potentially sold on, competing with other companies already trying to develop similar systems.

Read the FT report here.

Also in Google news, it is rumoured that the company will be launching its own paid-content system, Newspass, by the end of the year.

According to paidContent:UK, Italian newspaper La Repubblica reports that content from a publisher signed up to Newspass will be indicated by a paywall icon.

In a statement to paidContent, Google said:

“Our aim, as with all Google products, would be to reach as broad a global audience as possible,” indicating potential for a global roll out of the system.

Full story at this link…