AP Wants to Charge Bloggers By the Word

In a move prompting a number of bloggers to simply boycott AP stories, The Associated Press has a set fee structure for the use of quotes from their stories.

Tim Conneally at BetaNews has this:

The AP's disharmony with bloggers may have only just begun, as the alternative it's now offering to being served with takedown notices involves paying an up-front sum for excerpting online articles -- as few as five words.

A meeting between the Associated Press' Vice President for Strategic Planning Jim Kennedy and Robert Cox, who heads the Media Bloggers Association, is now planned for Thursday of this week. The subject at hand is the AP's attempt to find a new way of sharing AP content, which now involves a fee per excerpt based on its word length.

On the heels of a blogosphere revolt last week because of its harsh actions against social news site The Drudge Retort, the AP regrouped over the weekend to take a less litigative -- but more bureaucratic -- approach to dealing with those who wish to quote its material.

The above excerpt, had it been an AP story, at their current rate per this sheet , would be $50.00.

Fifty bucks??? Dear Reader, are you familiar with the term "Pass the hat" ? As for me, I'll join the blogcott. If it happens on AP, it simply doesn't exist!

Hat tip LGF
Cross Posted at Say Anything

Just for "grins". I clicked on their "use non-profit pricing". I got the following caveat:

To qualify for non-profit pricing you must represent a government-qualified non-profit organization and certify that you will use this article solely for non-profit purposes.