France’s international news agency, Agence France-Presse, is currently pursuing a copyright case against X, the social media platform that was previously known as Twitter. The agency aims to secure potential payment for its news content.
In order to assess the remuneration owed to AFP, the news agency has filed an application with a Paris court to compel Elon Musk’s rebranded company to provide the necessary data.
Agence France-Presse is seeking payment in accordance with the European Union intellectual property rules, which encompass “neighboring rights.” These rights allow news outlets and publishers to seek compensation from digital platforms for the sharing of their work.
France was the first EU country to adopt these rules into national legislation back in 2019.
“AFP remains unwavering in its commitment to the cause,” the news agency stated, emphasizing its advocacy for the adoption of neighboring rights for the press.
The legal action against Twitter aligns with this persistent commitment, according to AFP.
The news agency plans to utilize appropriate legal means with each relevant platform to ensure the fair distribution of the value generated by the sharing of news content.
According to AFP, X has clearly refused to discuss the copyright protections that enable news agencies to seek compensation from digital platforms.
In response, Musk labeled the case as “bizarre” in a tweet.
“They want us to pay (asterisk)them(asterisk) for traffic to their site where they make advertising revenue and we don’t!?” he questioned.
Newspaper companies advocated for the EU copyright reform due to concerns about the decline in quality journalism, as digital giants divert ad revenue.