DVP applauds the show of support in parliament for protecting the related rights of the press, a commitment exemplified by the introduction of a bill on 13 February designed to render the mechanism more effective.
With this in mind, DVP is working to establish a mandatory information disclosure policy, with specific penalties in place to compel digital platforms to communicate relevant information when negotiating the licensing of rights.
As the text points out, the press sector has for years now seen its advertising revenue consistently eroded, while at the same time digital giants are generating substantial revenues by re-publishing content produced by press publishers and news agencies on their own platforms.
The 2019 European Directive on “copyright and related rights in the digital single market”, which was very quickly incorporated into French law, provided press publishers and news agencies with a foundation, namely the related rights mechanism, to secure a share of the value generated when their content is exploited on digital platforms. This first, fundamental step has facilitated several negotiations.
Nevertheless, these negotiations are not without structural difficulties. Platforms are often reluctant to enter into licensing agreements, systematically question the eligibility of titles and news agencies, and refusing to provide the broadcasting data that is vital to calculate the value derived by related rights.
This is why DVP actively supports the provisions set out in the proposed law to enforce greater transparency regarding financial and usage data which, handed over after long and laborious negotiations, remains scarce and often incomplete if it is provided at all.
Finally, with regard to the implementation of binding measures to counter the delaying tactics of digital platforms that endlessly extend licensing negotiations far beyond any reasonable time frame, DVP is convinced that this subject will require extensive work by legislators and all stakeholders involved to reach the desired outcome.
This is why DVP is now calling for the bill to be placed on the parliamentary agenda as soon as possible.
