Amid increasing demand from online publishers, Google is closing a loophole that allowed searchers to read articles on subscription-based websites without paying for them.
To deal with the issue, the search giant is launching a new program called "First Click Free," where participating publishers will still have their content appear in Google and Google News searches. Users who click on the content will see a full article without having to pay for it, but clicking on additional links within the website will require a sign-in or subscription, according to Google.
Google had become something of a scapegoat for the failing print media industry in recent weeks, with News Corp. honcho Rupert Murdoch entertaining the notion of blocking Google from indexing his company's content. News Corp. even went so far as to discuss a deal with Microsoft about having links to content appear exclusively on the Bing search engine.
