Now that a major movement of French press publishers and news agencies has formed around a collective management organisation, namely DVP (Society for the Related Rights of the Press), a new debate is gathering momentum in France thanks to the determination of French press rights holders. Should professionals in the field be alarmed by the “predatory” role of major digital platforms? Is the existing model truly a drain on the press economy, or is this fear nothing more than a passing trend, essentially crying wolf?
The way we are coming together to address these issues is a refreshing show of strength. Key decision-makers, with growing but cautious optimism, are starting to take note. Government officials and lawmakers in particular are watching this powerful development with keen interest. Ultimately, this is simply a matter of enforcing the law by bringing together as many press publishers and news agencies as possible into the fold. Working side by side, one title at a time, we can prove that we deserve a seat at the table. We should not be afraid of becoming the active secular arm of this movement built around the text voted on in Brussels in April 2019, adopted three months later in France and thereby setting an example for other members of the European Union. These other states can, like us, benefit from the protection that is their right under two milestone decisions by the French Competition Authority. The law is on our side, and we must remain united to carry it forward.
Our collective management organisation is not an end in itself: the goal is the fair distribution of wealth among digital platforms and members of the press, and the development of fair and transparent management and distribution practices. However, before the CFC (French Copyright Management Centre), chosen for its expertise and proven competence in the field, can carry out the distribution of royalties, we need to encourage new members to join. With this in mind, our main partner and service provider Sacem, building on its expertise in copyright negotiation and management, has carefully prepared a dossier on the subject. We must make it our duty to work together in order to build the momentum necessary to secure and defend these rights.
And if we need another reason to unite under this banner, we must ask ourselves what democracy would be without the press, if it were allowed to disappear, starved of the resources that are its lifeblood. Without a doubt, there can be no victory unless we engage fully with these issues.
Jean-Marie Cavada
DVP President
