News content: a battle between producers and distributors

Last August, the Brazilian Superior Court of Justice issued a ruling concerning press clipping services. This case relates to a copyright infringement claim brought by a newspaper against a clipping company that utilized its journalistic content as a basis for crafting customized clippings. The central issues examined by the Court are: (i) whether journalistic works are entitled to protection under copyright law, and if so, (ii) whether clipping services could qualify for any of the exceptions stipulated in the Brazilian Copyright Law (“BCL”). 

By a majority vote, the judges of the Superior Court determined that journalistic works warrant the protection afforded by copyright law. They recognized that, while there is no exclusive right over the facts reported, certain distinctive elements of style and content are creations of intellectual spirit and, as such, merit the protection. The Court also assessed whether the activity conducted by the clipping services fell within any of the exceptions outlined in the BCL and concluded that none of them were applicable. 

The dissenting vote diverged from the majority on both of its conclusions. The judge contended that journalistic content, which primarily conveys information, should not be subject to copyright protection. Even if that were the case, he added, the clipping services could fall under one of the exceptions, specifically the one allowing the reproduction of news or informative articles in the press while acknowledging authorship and source. In his perspective, the activity can be classified within the concept of “press”. 

Interestingly, the discussion about the protection of journalistic works is currently a hot topic in the Brazilian Congress. Traditional news outlets argue that digital platforms are free riders in their investments in content production by presenting snippets of stories on their pages. The best way to approach the matter is still under debate, with an eye on the solutions adopted by other jurisdictions, such as the European Union and Australia.