Last week, Microsoft announced the launch of its Publisher Content Marketplace (PCM), a licensing hub for content. The company has been co-designing the platform with major U.S. content providers—notably no book publishers—including the Associated Press, Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines, Vox Media, and USA Today, among others.
In a blog post, the company said, "Publishers define licensing and usage terms, while AI builders discover and license content for specific grounding scenarios. PCM also provides usage-based reporting, enabling publishers to understand how content has been valued in the past and where it can provide increased value in the future, all through a feedback loop within the marketplace. "
The company said PCM will support publishers of all sizes and that "publishers always retain ownership of their content and editorial independence." The service will initially be used to inform Microsoft's Copilot assistant.
Now, the Information reports that Amazon is planning to announce its own AI content licensing marketplace this week. Amazon Web Services circulated slides ahead of an AWS conference grouping the marketplace alongside its core AI tools, including Bedrock and Quick Suite. An Amazon spokesperson told Reuters the company had "nothing specific to share" about the Information report, adding that it has "built long-lasting relationships with publishers" and "continues to innovate."
The two tech giants are not operating in a vacuum, as a variety of companies have been racing to establish their their own licensing platforms, from established brands like Copyright Clearance Center, to a number of startups, including Amlet, Cashmere.io, and Created by Humans.
The news comes as publishers are beginning to press for usage-based fee structures that scale with how much their content is consumed by AI systems. Until now, the norm has been for AI companies to focus on upfront licensing deals rather than per-use payments.
