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AFP allows Google to use its content

Agence France-Presse (AFP), a global news agency based in Paris, has settled its lawsuit against Google Inc and will allow the Internet search leader to post news and photos from AFP journalists.

The deal, announced on Friday, settles the copyright infringement lawsuit that AFP filed in March 2005 accusing Google of posting news summaries, headlines and photos without permission.

Financial details of the settlement were not disclosed.

The deal will allow Google to use headlines and photos on Google News and other services that drive online traffic to sites displaying AFP news. The companies did not disclose where else AFP's news would be used by Google.

Mountain View, California-based Google settled a separate dispute with The Associated Press last August. At that time the two companies disclosed a new business relationship under which Google will pay AP for news and photos, but financial details of that arrangement weren't disclosed.

Eric Scherer, AFP's director for strategic planning and partnerships, said the wire service is pleased because "the work of our journalists and photographers will be recognized in a normal way," he said.

"With the other major Internet players like AOL, Yahoo or MSN, we have been licensing our content to them for years and years," he said.

Separately, Google began testing a service on Friday that lets consumers find information on local businesses over the phone.

The service, Google Voice Local Search, is free and can connect callers directly to the business they're trying to reach, Google said on its Web site.
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