On Thursday 17 October, Culture Minister Rachida Dati announced her intention in the Senate to prepare a bill for early 2025 setting out the key measures recommended in the conclusions of the “Estates General of Information ‘ (EGI), with input from the “100 proposals from members of the presidential majority” and several bills already tabled, particularly in the Senate under the leadership of Senator Sylvie Robert.
The conclusions of both the EGI and recent parliamentary proceedings emphasise the need to establish a fair distribution of value among members of the press and GAFAM companies in order to safeguard the economic model of the press in the long term.
Created to collect and pay out royalties for related rights to press publishers and news agencies, the collective management organisation DVP (Society for the Related Rights of the Press) fully supports the legislative push to consolidate related rights by setting out a clear negotiation process with digital companies, especially given their inconsistent approach when it comes to sharing information with media outlets. The collection of royalties from license payers, particularly large platforms, is fraught with difficulties that could largely be resolved through targeted legislative adjustments.
Firstly, mechanisms need to be implemented to ensure transparency in the assessment of content used that was covered by related rights. This transparency relies on license payers to communicate relevant, reliable, well-sourced and up-to-date broadcasting information so that DVP can correctly assess the direct and indirect value generated when platforms re-use content produced by press publishers and news agencies.
Secondly, there must be mechanisms in place to compel license payers to negotiate fair remuneration in good faith and within a reasonable time frame when they are granted licences by press publishers and news agencies to use said content legally.
Finally, too much time is wasted discussing the eligibility of certain press titles, even though they are recognised as such by the French State. DVP supports the MIMP group’s proposal (No. 14) to make recognition by the CPPAP a sufficient and automatic condition for these CPPAP-certified publications to be eligible for related rights, as this will put an end to the delaying tactics of certain license payers.
Furthermore, as a collective management organisation open to all press publishers and news agencies, DVP applauds the EGI’s recommendation to use a collective management tool for news media in order to better protect and promote their rights in the face of the rapid growth of generative AI.
Created just three years ago and chaired by Mr Jean-Marie Cavada, DVP works to defend the rights of over 320 press publishers and news agencies publishing 730 press publications.
The organisation has already signed licensing agreements with Google and Meta, as well as with service providers in the B2B market. DVP continues to pursue negotiations with other license payers to obtain fairer valuation when renegotiating agreements that will come into play in the coming years.
