The decision of major news agencies against sending video journalists tomorrow (June 6th) to FIFA’s showcase event on women’s football has led to a FIFA response.
The agencies strongly object to FIFA obligating news organisations to assign copyright in their own news video material to FIFA.
FIFA said: Please be informed that FIFA hasn’t changed its longstanding position with respect to news access/copyright. FIFA comments on the arguments of the News Media Coalition – which is seeking to challenge the copyright assignment clause in its news access licenses – as follows:
The clause is not new and has been agreed to previously by the news agencies, including the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. A related clause allows the Licensees to use the footage as agreed under the conditions of use. What it prevents is footage taken at FIFA’s events being the permanent intellectual property of a third party, and therefore underpins the commercial programme that enables FIFA to generate media, marketing and licensing revenues that fund all of FIFA’s work in world football.
The assignment of copyright allows FIFA to be suitably placed to (i) regulate its use; and (ii) address issues of misuse thereof. As above, such helps FIFA protect the value of its commercial programme and the exclusive rights granted to its licensees.
FIFA’s news access regulations remain amongst the broadest of all international federations/events, allowing news agencies to cover the event alongside bona fide rights licensees’.
