The European Union's Copyright in the Digital Single Market Directive, which came into force in June 2019, introduced a new 'neighbouring right' for press publishers. This right, outlined in Article 15, is designed to help publishers secure fair compensation when their journalistic publications are used by major online platforms and news aggregators.
The mechanism requires online service providers, such as Google News and social media platforms, to obtain licenses from publishers for the use of their content snippets. The goal is to create a more balanced relationship between publishers and the digital giants that profit from distributing news content. National governments in the EU were required to transpose the directive into their own laws by June 2021.
Implementation has varied across member states, with some countries like France and Germany being early adopters. The effectiveness of the measure remains a subject of ongoing debate, with publishers reporting mixed results in negotiations with tech platforms. The European Commission continues to monitor the application of the rules across the internal market.
