European Publishers Welcome Paris Court of Appeal Decision

News Media Europe welcomes today’s decision of the Paris Court of Appeal, confirming the obligation for Google to negotiate in good faith with press publishers to make genuine remuneration proposals on the basis of the press publisher right.

Wout van Wijk, NME executive director, said: “We are pleased to see confirmation that Google does not sit above the law and must push efforts for honest remuneration proposals to press publishers.

“We hope the decision sets a precedent that the European press publisher right is a genuine and enforceable negotiation instrument to rebalance out relations between press content producers and online distributors.”

The Court found that Google’s probable anti-competitive behaviour gave sufficient ground to the interim measures. The infringement was sufficiently characterized and serious so as to affect the sustainability of the press sector and its digital transition.

Finally, the emergency of the situation justified the Authority’s intervention, which was necessary and proportionate, News Media Europe reported.

News Media Europe congratulates French publishers for their resilience during the negotiations and judicial proceedings. 

The News Media Assocation is a member of NME.