Several French newspapers are suing the social network X for the use of their content without remuneration

“Le Figaro”, “Le Monde” and even “Le Parisien” accuse the American giant of violating the European principle of “neighboring rights”, which allows press titles to be paid for the exploitation of their articles.

Does platform X infringe the principle of “neighboring rights”? Several French newspapers, including Le Figaro, The World, The Parisian et The Echoesannounced on Tuesday, November 12, that they were suing the social network owned by American billionaire Elon Musk before the Paris court, whom they accuse of using their content without paying for it.

This action comes six months after the courts ordered X to provide these newspapers and the AFP, within two months, with a series of commercial data allowing them to assess the income it earns from their content. The group “did not (…) comply” to this decision so far, “thus demonstrating its invariable desire to evade its legal obligations”denounce the newspapers to justify their approach.

Rights related to copyright were established for digital platforms in 2019 by a European directive. They allow newspapers, magazines or press agencies to be paid when their content is reused by digital giants.

In March, a French lawyer for X argued that the social network was not “not subject” to this device, because, unlike Google or Facebook, “on what users post” and not on what he himself puts forward.