Google has decided to limit the amount of copyrighted material owned by publishers that it gives away for free in an attempt to placate publishers who are, understandably, not happy with the situation. Previously, Google would offer for free content a publisher wanted to gate and charge for.
Google in essence forbade publishers for charging for their content when users came to that content via Google News. If a user found an article on Google News and clicked on it, the publisher could not direct the user to a "pay for this first" screen. Instead, Google gave searchers the full article via its "First Click Free" program. Google would show the whole article, but those visiting the publisher's Web site directly would have to pay for it to see it. Google called the practice of hiding an article behind a plea for money "cloaking" and would not honor it.
More: http://pcworld.com/article/183576/
Google in essence forbade publishers for charging for their content when users came to that content via Google News. If a user found an article on Google News and clicked on it, the publisher could not direct the user to a "pay for this first" screen. Instead, Google gave searchers the full article via its "First Click Free" program. Google would show the whole article, but those visiting the publisher's Web site directly would have to pay for it to see it. Google called the practice of hiding an article behind a plea for money "cloaking" and would not honor it.
More: http://pcworld.com/article/183576/