Data-hungry corporations are supposed to pay for newspaper articles

a few weeks Ago, the Commission for science, education and culture (WBK) of the States has added a surprising new clause in the revised copyright: The parliamentarians want to adjust the law so that platforms like Google , Facebook or Amazon, the Swiss media would have to reimburse companies for the Use or disclosure of journalistic articles.

The Commission recommends this to the Council with a 7 to 3 vote, next Tuesday is the business in the plenary. The proposal aims at a kind of performance right, as it is in European countries, is currently being tested by the EU-Commission, maybe the law will be explained.

a tender or copyright indemnity

A similar proposal from the Greens are currently discussing. Entertain you for some time, the internal party group "network policy for the media", which deals with the question of how journalism is supported, and the media industry before further concentration is preserved. Even in the current spring session, the Greens will submit two motions, such as the national Council Michael Swiss (LU) says: a, the promoting text-based online media (so far, only Radio and television), a second proposal calls for the creation of a digital levy for the financing of this promotion.

The digital output would differ from the System of the Performance rights. You would be a kind of tax that would be paid by corporations, which media make the articles searchable. The proceeds from this levy, so the idea came in a pot, from the media according to the defined criteria would be promoted. The performance right, however, the state would collect no money, but the media publishers themselves would have to negotiate with Internet companies, as their articles may be used and paid for.

"Chance"

On the feasibility of both variants, the opinions go far apart. FDP Council of States Ruedi Noser , President of WBK, the concern for the chance. "Money demand, that is found on an Internet platform – this is absurd." Quality media would have quite a future, says Noser, who was himself of the IT entrepreneurs: "With consistent payment barriers and an intelligent use of your data and opportunities." But on the help of the international corporations, you could count hardly, this could be for co-funding of journalism is required.

Edith Graf-Litscher , SP national councillor and President of the telecommunications Commission's (KVF), is of a different opinion. So far, the performance of non-functional protection law in European countries, or have it brought to the newspaper publishers, the desired results, because Google is on the longer lever. But if all the countries pull in the same direction – and then it looks at the moment – that would change the power structure, she believes. So far, Attempts to Google a royalty for the linking of newspaper to collect the items failed, in Germany, for instance. This is because Newspapers have a very real interest in ensuring that their article will appear in the search engines prominently. Thus, they concluded in the end with Google free contracts for the Link, and make it accessible.

at a loss to the giants

Not all in the SP, however, are as confident as Edith Graf-Litscher. Anita Fetz, SP-Councillor of state of Basel, voted in the Commission against the addition of the copyright law. "Smaller platforms with limited resources would suffer, if you settlement companies would apply to the media," she says. Graf-Litscher is a benefit of a different opinion: "Small would! The digital output would be used for media promotion, and in the case of this small and Special Interest media came particularly to the train."

Nils Güggi, IT-law specialist based in Bern, is also skeptical. The media were not arrived in the Internet age is right, he says. The discussion of a performance right or a digital levy would be the expression of a certain helplessness – also the fact that the policy against Internet-giants like Google, Amazon or Facebook, no Chance. A common approach by the EU could lead to countries, and an Entrainment of Switzerland, he nevertheless is possible.

media debate in August

There are other suggestions on how media should be supported. Have been submitted in the past months, numerous initiatives calling for, among other things, an increase in the indirect press promotion through Post-allowance, or the Splitting up of today's Radio - and TV-fees, where a part of the text media would be used. Such proposals were, among other things, Karl Vogler (CSP, OW), Bernhard Guhl (BDP, BE), Olivier Feller (FDP, VD), Géraldine Savary (SP, VD) and Lorenzo Quadri (Lega in Ticino).

In August, the telecommunications Commission will be bundled in these initiatives as a reason for a guideline, says Edith Graf-Litscher. Until then, you'll know how the new Department head Simonetta Sommaruga (SP) want to process with the controversial new media law.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 08.03.2019, 18:54 PM