Copyright & IP

Why is it important?

News requires investment and the commercial viability of a news media publisher is dependent on its ability to robustly protect the intellectual property it creates and curates. A stable copyright regime is therefore crucial not only to a healthy and vibrant news media industry but also to free speech and democracy.  In the digital age, this has become even more important and the need for efficient copyright protection and better enforcement of the rules is greater than ever before.

Current situation

The current regime generally strikes the right balance in terms of protecting the rights of content creators and the rights of consumers or users. Any significant new exceptions could be highly damaging to the news media industry.

In Europe, copyright review is high on the agenda. The Copyright in the Digital Single Market directive was passed in April 2019 and is required to be implemented by 7 June 2021. This includes a Publisher's Right, designed to ensure that content providers receive fair compensation for the use of their material. On the UK front, publishers are concerned to ensure that the Government ensures stability and certainty in the IP framework after Brexit.  

What is the NMA doing about it?

The NMA works at a European and UK level to safeguard the intellectual property rights of its member news media publishers. This involves working with stakeholders such as News Media Europe and Publishers’ Content Forum to protect publisher copyright and intellectual property and to ensure the industry’s voice is clearly heard.