European Federation of Journalists

European Federation of Journalists

Policy

Authors’ Rights

The exploitation of intellectual property rights is a topic for virtually every government, major company and economic forum worldwide. Journalists among those who have intellectual property rights. Their authors’ rights are currently best protected in continental Europe.

The EFJ authors’ rights programme calls for journalists to be recognised as authors of the work they create, given control on further use of their work and to receive an equitable remuneration for it, whether their works are exploited off line or online. In this sense, we oppose the Anglo-American copyright system which deprives all staff and most freelances of these rights. Authors’ rights are not only economic rights. Journalists, photographers and media professionals also need strong legal protection of their moral rights, including the right to be named as the author and the right to protect their content from being used in a detrimental way or context.

The right for journalists to exercise control over their work is crucial to maintaining ethical standards and guaranteeing quality journalism. This is another reason for opposing the Anglo-American copyright system, in which authors are coerced into signing away their moral rights, often with no compensation for reuse. Moreover, the growing trend among media organisations to use right-grabbing contracts has become a matter of great concern for the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ). As a result, the EFJ has launched a Europe–wide campaign against right-grabbing contracts and advocates for fair remuneration of journalists.

We also support legal harmonisation of authors’ rights across Europe and the improvement of journalists’ rights and compensation in collective agreements. The authors’ rights work is supported by the IFJ/EFJ Expert Group for Authors’ Rights (AREG), which includes journalists and lawyers. The group meets on a regular basis to identify current threats to authors’ rights and to advise and support journalists and their unions in their battle for higher standards of protection.

Actions

The IFJ and EFJ call on European Parliament to protect Authors’ Rights

The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) today reiterated their support for the adoption of the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market (DSM), calling on members of the European Parliament to vote on 12 September in favor of the proposal, as put forward by its Legal Affairs Committee (JURI). Recognizing the crucial importance of authors’ rights, the media’s investment in quality contents and the need to establish fair practices in the online exploitation of news contents, the text, as proposed by the Legal Affairs Committee on 20 June, is ground-breaking. “This long-awaited piece of legislation…

European Authors call on MEPs to maintain their strong support to authors’ rights

The European organisations representing authors have acknowledged the decision of the European Parliament to postpone the adoption of its position on the Copyright Directive. The Authors’ Group now calls on MEPs to maintain their strong and cross-party support to reinforce the contractual position of authors in Europe so that the Copyright Directive can soon bring concrete benefits to authors’ rights in the European Union. The Authors’ Group represents more than half a million writers, composers, journalists, film directors, screenwriters and songwriters in Europe. Today, the European Parliament decided to postpone the adoption of its position on a Proposal for a Directive…

Journalists and press publishers agree on new wording on publishers’ right

The European and the International Federation of journalists, the world and European largest organisations of journalists, have agreed with European news publishers on a new wording to ensure a clear and non negotiable share for journalists of the benefits deriving from the future publishers’ neighboring right, a right that has been introduced in the Proposal for a Directive on copyright in the digital single market which will be voted in the plenary in the European parliament tomorrow, 5th July. The federations urge Members of the European Parliament to give mandate to the legal affairs committee to negotiate on behalf of the…

EP vote on copyright directive: some ups and downs

Following months of debates and controversial discussions, the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) adopted today its position on a Proposal for a Directive on copyright in the Digital single market. The International and the European Federation of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) applauds the positive outcome of the vote regarding the transparency triangle but warns against dangerous provision that are directly affecting journalists’ authors’ rights. The IFJ and EFJ join the voices of European authors’ organisations in welcoming the backing by an overwhelming majority of eurodeputies of the transparency triangle forcing publishers and broadcasters to provide regular reporting on the exploitation…

Joint statement on the advocate general’ opinion on Land NRW vs Dirk Renckhoff

The undersigned organisations represent photographers, photojournalists, journalists, painters, sculptors, designers, architects and street artists. Our organisations are deeply concerned that the statement of the General Advocate (GA) to the Court of Justice of the European Union, Mr Manuel Campos Sanchez-Bordona, dated 25 April 2018 and concerning the case C–161/17 – Land NRW vs Dirk Renckhoff could, if implemented, strongly damage authors’ position and the protection of their authors’ rights. We believe that the damage caused by the expropriation of authors require an immediate action by the European legislator. Our members are much concerned that the General Advocate’s interpretations of EU…

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