Google have just paid $82 million in support for "digital publishing initiatives" with French newspapers and other publishers. This new investment is part of a deal between the Mountain View-based company and the French government that will end a dispute over who Google should pay for "snippets" of articles that show up on Google searches.

Google and the French government have now signed the deal after months of negotiations with the French government calling the deal a "happy conclusion" that would "facilitate the transition of the press to the digital world".

Now that the agreement has been struck, Google will open up a new fund and work with French publishers in order to help them increase their online revenues, "using our advertising technology", said Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt. Schmidt continued, saying "a healthy news industry is important for Google and our partners, and it is essential to a free society".