French media to sue X for content use without compensation

Major French news publications are set to pursue legal action against the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, over the use of their content without appropriate compensation. This development arises under the ‘neighbouring rights’ framework, a legal concept introduced in 2019 by a European Union directive. Neighbouring rights grant media companies the ability to seek remuneration when their work is repurposed by major digital platforms. France notably spearheaded the directive’s national implementation.

The lawsuit will be initiated by prominent publishing companies, including Le Figaro, Les Echos, Le Parisien, Le Monde, and several other influential publications such as Télérama, Courrier International, Le Huffington Post, and Le Nouvel Obs.

Earlier this year, these companies, along with the French news agency AFP, utilised an emergency legal procedure against X and its French affiliate. Their argument centred around the platform’s failure to enter into negotiations regarding compensation for the usage of their content.

In a ruling in May, a judge at the Paris Judicial Court sided with the media outlets, mandating that the social network supply certain business data within a two-month period. This data was deemed necessary to assess the revenue accrued by X from using the content of these publishing houses.

Despite the court’s ruling, the French publications have accused X of non-compliance. According to their official statement, X has yet to meet the court’s requirements, which they argue signifies the platform’s ongoing attempt to shirk legal responsibilities. This perceived evasion has prompted the media entities to escalate the matter through the new lawsuit.

The press release expressed the publishers’ frustration, highlighting that, unlike other tech giants such as Google and Meta, X has consistently refrained from engaging in negotiations over neighbouring rights with French press outlets. The media companies claim that several efforts were made to initiate dialogue, but these approaches reportedly met with resistance.

Neighbouring rights have been a contentious issue, especially as digital platforms increasingly leverage news content to augment user engagement and drive advertising revenues without extending a share of this income to content creators. In contrast, they claim that they drive valuable traffic to the media brands.

This has led to legal battles in various jurisdictions, with France being at the forefront. The French government’s commitment to enforcing this EU directive underscores its determination to ensure that journalism is fairly compensated in the digital age.

The outcome of this lawsuit could set a precedent for how digital platforms and news organisations interact, potentially influencing broader industry standards and future legislative measures across Europe. As social networks modify their models and strategies in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, how they manage rights and content partnerships remains a critical issue for both publishers and platforms.

Source: Noah Wire Services