Copyright and AI

At a time when the Internet is too often characterised by free, unauthorised content, it is more important than ever that effective copyright protection and enforcement exists to allow publishers to continue to invest in providing professional news content on all platforms.

News publishers invest millions in generating properly sourced and fact-checked news content that is relevant to engaging users and, in turn, captures valuable data for online advertising. Users who engage with news content tend to do so frequently, providing regularly updated data on a user’s current interests and intent.

Platforms sell that data to advertisers without properly rewarding news publishers. The trusted public service journalism produced by our members has a significant value to tech platforms but the lack of transparency and engagement by these companies and their refusal to provide data to inform negotiations, has resulted in the absence of a realistic value being placed on the benefit of Irish news content to them and a refusal to share that value with press publishers.

A number of international studies have highlighted the value of this content.
For example, a study by University of Cambridge economics professor, Matthew Elliot, in May 2022,
for the UK News Media Association, found that UK news content is worth around £1bn to the two
main platforms, Google and Meta.

NewsBrands Ireland welcomes the adoption of the EU Copyright Directive, which modernises copyright law and provides a legal basis for publishers to negotiate with the platforms for use of their content.

In transposing the EU Copyright Directive into Irish law, the Irish Government should follow the example of other member states who, informed by international developments and competition authority investigations, have introduced provision for good faith negotiations, mediation and arbitration as part of their transposition. If Irish publishers are to effectively exercise their rights in negotiations with platforms, similar mechanisms are needed here.

Read our response to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
consultation related to the Future of Media Commission Report, Recommendation 6-9, on the
DSM Copyright Directive (EU) 2019/790 with particular reference to Article 15 – protection of press
publications concerning online uses,