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AP to take more legal action online to protect copyright

Posted: 07/04/09 By: Laura Oliver

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The Associated Press (AP) is to crack down on illegal use of its content as part of plans to better protect is news content from 'misappropriation online'.

The agency is to step up legal and legislative actions against websites and online publishers that use its content without a licence, the AP's board of directors announced yesterday.

"News values are AP values, and protecting them is an essential service that AP brings to its members and their audiences. That means stepping up and becoming aggressive about protecting content," said president Tom Curley, as part of the agency's annual meeting.

In February the agency was given the go ahead by a federal judge to continue its lawsuit accusing All Headline News of redistributing AP breaking news without permission.

Last June the AP issued takedown notices to the Drudge Retort because of alleged copyright infringement - an action which sparked strong reaction and an online petition to boycott the agency by bloggers.

According to yesterday's announcement, a new system to track the distribution of AP content online and monitor potential breaches of copyright will be developed.

The AP has previously worked with copyright firm iCopyright to track its content online and help manage licensing.

New search pages, which 'point users to the latest and most authoritative sources of breaking news', will also be set up, Curley said, though no more detail on these pages has yet been released.

"AP and its member newspapers and broadcast associate members are the source of most of the news content being created in the world today. We must be paid fully and fairly," Dean Singleton, AP chairman, told the annual meeting.

"We can no longer stand by and watch others walk off with our work under misguided legal theories."

A number of US newspapers ended membership with the AP over the last year.

In response to feedback from newspapers the agency also announced changes to its fees. From January 1 next year, members will be able to cancel their membership on one-year notice, while the agency has estimated a $35 million discount in rates to members in 2010.

As a result the agency has said its revenue from US newspaper members will fall by an estimated third between 2008 and 2010.

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