French News Agency AFP Sues Elon Musk’s X Over Copyright Dispute.
Paris, France: AFP news agency has taken legal action against social media giant Twitter, now rebranded as X, in a copyright case that underscores the ongoing struggle between media groups and tech companies over fair compensation for news content.
The legal move is part of a global effort by media organizations to assert their right to a share of profits generated by platforms like X, Facebook, and Google, which benefit from the distribution of news stories and images.
Media outlets have gained support for their cause from a 2019 European Union law that introduced the concept of “neighboring rights,” enabling them to seek payments for the use of their content.
In response to this legal development, both Google and Facebook reached agreements to provide compensation to certain French media entities.
However, AFP (Agence France-Presse) has accused X, a company owned by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, of evading discussions on neighboring rights.
In a statement, AFP revealed that it has initiated legal proceedings in a Paris court to compel X to disclose data that would allow the news agency to determine a reasonable level of compensation.
The agency intends to utilize appropriate legal avenues to ensure that the value generated through the sharing of news content is fairly distributed.
While some victories have been achieved by media groups in France, major tech corporations have staunchly resisted similar efforts in other regions.
Meta, previously known as Facebook, recently blocked Canadian users from accessing posts from news organizations in response to a law requiring compensation for content usage. Google has also indicated its readiness to take similar measures. Both Meta and Google have opposed comparable initiatives in Australia.
The dominance of tech giants in the online advertising space has raised concerns about the financial strain placed on traditional news organizations.
Tech companies have been criticized for leveraging news content without providing adequate compensation. X, being comparatively a smaller platform, has not encountered the same level of scrutiny.