The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that News Media Canada, the lobby group representing some of the country's largest news organizations, is urging the federal government to accommodate Google's concerns regarding Bill C-18, the Online News Act. The Globe's Bill Curry writes that the legislation is scheduled to take effect Dec. 19, creating an urgent deadline in the showdown between Google and Ottawa. The bill was inspired by a similar law in Australia and is aimed at encouraging the likes of Google and Facebook to strike licensing deals with publishers. Smaller publishers would be encouraged to bargain collectively in an effort to address power imbalances. Facebook has already removed Canadian news from its platform to avoid falling under the terms of the legislation. Google responded to the government's draft regulations Friday, raising a host of concerns. The company said it would follow through on plans to pull Canadian news entirely unless the final version of the regulations address its concerns. The company has also expressed skepticism that such issues can even be addressed through regulation. News Media Canada represents publishers such as The Globe, the Toronto Star, Postmedia and La Presse.