AFP Takes Legal Action Against Elon Musk’s X Over Copyright Dispute

On Wednesday, the AFP news agency initiated a copyright case against the social media giant Twitter, which has recently been rebranded as X. This legal action is part of a broader global effort by media groups to compel tech companies to pay for news content.

Media organizations have long contended that their stories and images contribute significant value to platforms like X, Facebook, and Google. Therefore, they argue that they should receive a portion of the profits generated by these platforms.

In 2019, the cause of media groups received a boost with the introduction of an EU law allowing for payments to be made for sharing content under the concept of “neighboring rights.” Subsequently, Google and Facebook reached agreements to pay certain French media outlets.

However, AFP has accused X, which is owned by billionaire tycoon Elon Musk, of a “clear refusal” to engage in discussions about neighboring rights. As a response, AFP filed a case with a judge in Paris to compel the platform to provide data necessary for the French news agency to determine a fair level of compensation.

In a statement, AFP affirmed its commitment to advocating for neighboring rights for the press and expressed its dedication to pursuing appropriate legal avenues with relevant platforms. The agency aims to ensure the equitable distribution of the value derived from sharing news content.

When contacted by AFP for a comment regarding the copyright case, the company was not immediately available to respond. However, on Thursday, Elon Musk, the owner of X, referred to the lawsuit as “bizarre” in a post on the platform.

In France, media groups have achieved some victories in their efforts to secure compensation from big tech firms for their news content. However, these tech giants have strongly resisted such measures in other regions.

For instance, Meta, formerly known as Facebook, blocked users in Canada from viewing posts from news organizations this week due to a law mandating compensation for content. Google has also threatened to take similar action in response to these proposals.

Both Meta and Google have also opposed comparable initiatives in Australia. As the dominant players in online advertising, they have been accused of diverting revenue away from traditional news organizations while utilizing their content without payment.

Compared to these tech giants, X, being a smaller platform, has not faced the same level of scrutiny in terms of compensating media groups for the use of their content.