Murdoch considers blocking Google searches
Rupert Murdoch claims he may remove stories from Google's search index
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Rupert Murdoch has claimed he may remove stories written by his news outlets from Google's search index as a method of encouraging people to pay for online content.
The media tycoon said the newspapers under his control - including the Times, the Sun and the Wall Street Journal - may consider blocking the search engine entirely once plans to charge people for reading the stories are implemented.
News Corp is set to charge people to read content from next year, with procedures already in place at the Wall Street Journal.
Speaking to Sky News Australia about removing his websites from Google's search index, the 78-year-old said: "I think we will, but that's when we start charging.
"We have it already with the Wall Street Journal. We have a wall, but it's not right to the ceiling. You can get, usually, the first paragraph from any story - but if you're not a paying subscriber to WSJ.com all you get is a paragraph and a subscription form."
The influential Australian has had something of a love-hate relationship with the internet and after apparently softening his stance on the online world with the acquisition of MySpace for $580 million in 2005 his opinion now appears to have once again hardened.
Mr Murdoch attacked the practise of "fair use" accusing rivals of literally stealing News Corp content during the interview.
"The people who simply just pick up everything and run with it - steal our stories, we say they steal our stories - they just take them," he said.
"That's Google, that's Microsoft, that's Ask.com, a whole lot of people... they shouldn't have had it free all the time, and I think we've been asleep."
Also in the interview Mr Murdoch said he regretted the current vicious attack on British prime minister Gordon Brown being instigated by his paper the Sun.
The tabloid has obtained and published a recent letter and then a telephone conversation between the mother of a British soldier killed in Afghanistan and the prime minister.
Jacqui Janes has accused Mr Brown of disrespecting her son Grenadier Guardsman Jamie Janes after misspelling his name in a condolence letter.
The Sun announced during the Labour party conference it was no longer supporting the party and instead backing the Conservatives in next year's general election.
Mr Murdoch though said he regretted the recent personal attacks against the prime minister.
"The editors in Britain for instance have turned very much against Gordon Brown, who is a friend of mine. I regret it," he said.
He added though that in principal he supported the paper's stance.
"I think they're probably right that he has been a disappointment as a prime minister," he said.
"He has been an unlucky man. But you know the end of 13 years of one-party rule, the idea of change is probably good."