A group of traditional media in France has sued Elon Musk’s company X for allegedly failing to comply with a European Union directive written into the country’s law, Brussels Signal reports.
The lawsuit involves Le Monde, Le Figaro, Les Echos, Le Parisien, Télérama, Courrier International, Malesherbes Publications, Le Nouvel Obs and the French version of the Huffington Post.
According to a report in Le Monde on November 12, the publications insist that X has violated the French interpretation of EU law on so-called “neighbouring rights.”
Under a Brussels directive adjusting the bloc’s copyright laws, news organisations are entitled to royalties from social media if content is “republished” on their social platforms.
The media groups argued that X failed to pay them the royalties and also failed to provide them with the necessary data to assess the amount owed by the social media platform.
According to Reuters, an injunction ordering X to hand over the data was granted earlier this year, but the internet giant has yet to comply. A joint statement from the legacy media outlets claimed:
“The revenue from these rights, with the investment that it would enable its beneficiaries to make, is a boost to the plurality, independence and quality of the media, which are essential for freedom of expression and the right to information in our democratic society.”
A court hearing on the matter is reportedly scheduled for May 15, 2025.
