This is a new episode in the issue of neighboring rights, this European directive which requires web giants to pay the media for the use and distribution of their online content. We have learned that around fifty members of the Alliance for the General Information Press (APIG), an organization which brings together 300 press titles, is suing Microsoft before the Paris Judicial Court.
French newspapers mobilized
Among the media taking part in this initiative, we find titles from groups like Ouest-France or Ebra (Est-Bourgogne-Rhône-Alpes), two big names in the French regional daily press.
These actors are demanding several tens of millions of euros from the company founded by Bill Gates, according to The Echoes. The disputes concern in particular the contents of newspapers used on the Bing search engine, the MSN web portal, LinkedIn, and even Microsoft Start.
In a press release, the plaintiffs deplore:
Despite repeated requests from publishers for several years, Microsoft and LinkedIn continue to evade their obligation to transmit data. However, this transmission is essential to the opening of a negotiation in good faith and the establishment of fair remuneration for the use of press content.
Questioned, the Redmond firm responded to the economic media. A spokesperson for the company affirms that the group is actively engaged “in negotiations with several entities within the EU” And ” determined “ to conclude agreements with publishers “in order to compensate them fairly for displaying their work on Bing”.
A delicate subject for web giants
This affair comes at a crucial moment for French newspapers. They are in fact in the process of renegotiating previous licensing agreements signed with Meta and Google. At the same time, discussions are underway with OpenAI with the aim of obtaining remuneration for the use of their content by the AI.
As recalled Releasethis issue is particularly sensitive for web giants who have long been reluctant to pay. Moreover, Google was fined 250 million euros by the Competition Authority, which accused it of not having respected its commitments made in 2022.
What to remember:
- Around fifty French newspapers will file a complaint against Microsoft before the Paris Judicial Court
- They criticize the Tech giant for not respecting the European directive on neighboring rights
- The Redmond firm says it is determined to continue negotiations to find licensing agreements with the media
