Press law

Google has agreed to pay a substantial new fine of €250 million to the French Competition Authority for failing to comply with its commitments regarding related rights (also known as neighboring rights).

Law No. 2019-775 of July 24, 2019 “on the creation of related rights for the benefit of news agencies and press publishers”, that transposed Directive (EU) 2019/790 on copyright and related rights in the Digital Single Market, aims at ensuring fair compensation for news agencies and press publishers when their contents are reused on online platforms.

How to effectively combat SLAPPs that can be initiated against journalists and human rights defenders when they denounce facts that are upsetting for the targeted persons?

This is the purpose of the European Commission’s proposal for a Directive “on protecting persons who engage in public participation from manifestly unfounded or abusive court proceedings” unveiled on April 27, 2022 which suggests that Member States should strengthen procedural safeguards for those against which SLAPPs are initiated.