Agence France-Presse sues Elon Musk and X/Twitter over compensation for information

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Agence France-Presse (AFP) announced a lawsuit towards X, the corporate previously often known as Twitter, on August 2, citing Europe’s “neighboring rights” laws.

In response to a press launch, AFP is asking the courts to power X — which the press launch refers to as “Twitter” all through — to reveal information associated to the variety of occasions articles have been shared on the platform:

“This transfer is aimed toward compelling Twitter, in accordance with the legislation, to supply all the mandatory parts required for assessing the remuneration owed to AFP underneath the neighbouring rights laws.”

The European Union’s neighboring rights laws was updated in 2019 to incorporate information organizations and the works they publish. By legislation, social media organizations working within the E.U. can’t legally reproduce information content material with out an settlement with the unique writer.

Primarily, the E.U. legislation seeks to implement a system just like copyright royalties for leisure media. Social media organizations and different retailers that reproduce or facilitate the replica or sharing of copyrighted materials, together with information articles, must make funds on a per-use foundation.

The legislation’s scope includes video, photos, and audio recordsdata as properly. Although it’s unclear precisely what particular media AFP is claiming was reproduced on X, the legislation does specify that hyperlinking, particular phrases, and “very quick” textual content snippets are exempt.

Associated: Subscribers on X (formerly Twitter) can hide their blue checkmarks now

This might point out that AFP is in search of redress over shared photos, movies, or textual content snippets which it feels exceeds the restrict of “very quick.”

As for X, proprietor Elon Musk was fast to answer experiences of the lawsuit on the app, calling it “weird.”

This isn’t the primary time AFP has tussled with massive tech over the neighboring rights legislation. Google was forced to strike a deal over neighboring rights with the French media outlet in 2021 after a two-year authorized battle.