Copyright and News Reporting A Comparative Research Study on the Authors' Rights of Media Companies, Journalists and Audiences Javier Díaz Noci TESI DOCTORAL UPF / 2016 Dr Antoni Rubí Puig DEPARTAMENT DE DRET A la memoria de mi padre, Agapito Díaz Larrea (1935-2015). Nada hubiese sido siquiera posible sin él. You take my life When you doe take the meanes whereby I liue. William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, 1596 We must take care to guard against two extremes equally prejudicial; the one, that men of ability, who have employed their time for the service of their community, may not be deprived of their just merits, and the reward of their ingenuity and labour; the other, that the world may not be deprived of improvements, nor the progress of the art be retarded. Lord Mansfield, Sayre v Moore, 1785 Everyone has the right to the protection of moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the Author. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 27.2, 1948 2024: Media consumers no longer own discs or even bits – all they buy is rights. Reason: Authorized music and movies can be streamed anywhere, anytime. Wired, May 2004, p. 155 We live in a world designed by Mickey Mouse, Red in tooth and claw. R. Darnton, ‘Google and the Future of Books’, New York Review of Books, February 12, 2009. It’s not copyright infringement, I’m reporting the news! Meher Gaven, Arts Law Center of Australia, 2011 Thanks to the Web, journalism is now something you do – not something you are. Matthew Ingmar, Paid Content, July 1, 2013 Abstract WE EXAMINE IN THIS PHD DISSERTATION, from a comparative, empiri- cal and functionalist approach, the legal aspects related to the protection given by the intellectual property system to the production and dissemi- nation of news, whoever its author is: companies, journalists, users. We propose first a historical and legal examination of the diachronic evolu- tion of the business of news, the social creation of reporters as authors, and the collective work as a legal category especially applicable to some journalistic products. Second, we examine the many rights involved in the protection of copyright, including the user-generated contents, pay- ing attention to the question of the derivative works. Third, we offer an analysis of the practical application of those norms facing the legal prob- lems defined in the previous chapters based on an empirical study of the attitudes, opinions and uses of the aspects previously defined. As a con- clusion, we aim to underline the major trends of intellectual property applied to news reporting in both system and in a global perspective. Resum EN AQUESTA TESI DOCTORAL EXAMINEM, des d’una perspectiva compa- rada, empírica i funcionalista, algunes de les vessants jurídiques relacio- nades amb la protecció dispensada pel sistema de propietat intel·lectual a la producció i disseminació de notícies, qualsevol que en sigui el seu au- tor: empreses, periodistes o usuaris. Proposem en primer lloc un examen històric i legal de l’evolució diacrònica del negoci informatiu, la creació social del periodista com a autor, i de l’obra col·lectiva com a categoria legal especialment aplicable als productes periodístics. En segon lloc, examinem els diversos drets implicats en la protecció de l’obra in- tel·lectual, inclosos els dels continguts generats pels usuaris, i parem espe- cial atenció a l’obra derivada. En tercer lloc, fem una anàlisi de l’aplicació pràctica d’aquelles normes relatives als problemes definits en la secció anterior. A tall de conclusió, mirem de destacar les tendències en pro- pietat intel·lectual d'aplicació a l'objecte del nostres estudi en ambdos sistemes jurídics i en una perspectiva global. Resumen EN ESTA TESIS DOCTORAL EXAMINAMOS, desde una perspectiva compa- rada, empírica y funcionalista, algunas de las vertientes jurídicas relacio- nadas con la protección dispensada por el sistema de propiedad intelec- tual a la producción y diseminación de noticias, cualquiera que sea su autor: empresas, periodistas o usuarios. Proponemos en primer lugar un examen histórico y legal de la evolución diacrónica del negocio informa- tivo, la creación social del periodista como autor, y de la obra colectiva como categoría legal especialmente aplicable a los productos periodísti- cos. En segundo lugar, examinamos los diversos derechos implicados en la protección de la obra intelectual, incluidos los de los contenidos gene- rados por los usuarios, y prestamos especial atención a la obra derivada. En tercer lugar, realizamos un análisis de la aplicación práctica de aquellas normas relativas a los problemas definidos en la sección anterior. A modo de conclusión, tratamos de destacar aquellas tendencias que las dos prin- cipales tradiciones jurídicas y también desde una perspectiva global mues- tran en cuanto a la aplicación de las categorías jurídicas previamente defi- nidas a nuestro objeto de estudio. Laburpena DOKTOREGO-TESI HONETAN AZTERTZEN DUGU, ikuspuntu konparatu, enpiriko eta funzionalistatik, jabetza intelektualaren sistemak albisteen ekoizpen zein zabalkundeari eskaintzen dion babesarekin erlazionaturiko hainbat alderdi juridiko, edozein delarik albisteen egilea: enpresak, kazetariak, erabiltzaileak. Lehenik, azterketa historiko eta juridiko bat egingo dugu zer nolakoa izan den garapen diakronikoa informazio- negozioa, kazetari autore gise gizartea-sorkuntza eta lan kolektiboa kategoria legal gisa ardatzak direlarik. Bigarrenik, lan intelektuala, baita erabiltzeek ekoizturiko edukiak ere babesteko erabiltzen diren eskubideak aztertuko ditugu. Lan eratorria modu berezian azerttuko dugu. Hirugarrenik, aurreko atalean definituriko arazoei aplika dakizkiokeen arauen gauzatze praktikoa analizatuko ditugu. Ondorio gisa, bi tradizio juridiko nagusiek epe laburrean aurpegiratu beharko duten hanbait alderdi azpimarratuko dugu. Declaration I certify that this thesis presented for examination for the Doctorate Program in Law of the Pompeu Fabra University is solely my original research work. Wherever contributions by others or discussion carried out with other people as a collaborative research is clearly identified and acknowledged, with due reference to literature. The copyright of this dissertation rests with the author. I declare that my PhD dissertation consists of 177,893 words, excluding references. Barcelona, September 2016 Javier Díaz Noci Preface THE HISTORY OF THIS PHD DISSERTATION is quite long. After graduating in Journalism in the University of the Basque Coun- try, when I was just 22 years old – and after working as a jour- nalist for some newspaper and radio stations since I was just 20 years old – I decided to write my first PhD dissertation. The topic I chose was the history of the first newspapers in Basque language, and as a result I was awarded with a doctorate in His- tory in 1992. A year before, in 1991, I began my legal training at the Faculty of Law of the University of the Basque Country in San Sebastian, the place I worked and lived in at that time. I managed to successfully complete my undergraduate training in 1996, and then I decided to follow up studying law, searching for some specific area I could find appealing. I joined then the Doctorate Program in Civil Law at the same faculty, and began doing some research on intellectual property. In the meantime, I obtained a job as a lecturer in Journalism and Communication at the University of the Basque Country, and decidedly started heading towards a tenure track. I wrote many articles on history, on communication and, especially, on the, at that period, emerging online journalism. In a parallel way, I tried to keep working on intellectual property, and was able to publish some articles and books on the topic, but I had not enough time or energy to move forward writing a second PhD dissertation on law. I moved to the Pompeu Fabra University in 2008, was ac- credited as a full professor in 2010 and obtained my full profes- sorship in communication in 2012. I married and had two chil- dren, Aina (born in 2010) and Irati (born in 2012). I felt then that it was time for me to take some room to learn more on Law xvii xii | Copyright and News Reporting and write a PhD dissertation on copyright and the news, so I contacted the department of Law of the UPF and sounded out the possibility of doing so. Dr Albert Lamarca, then the head of the Doctorate Studies in Law of the University, agreed with the topic I offered and answered positively, but suggested an inter- national, comparative approach. I also found it appealing. Dr Antoni Rubí Puig was suggested as the most appropriate super- visor, we contacted him and he kindly agreed to be my supervi- sor. The title of this PhD dissertation was rapidly decided, and has remained untouched during all these four years. Needless to say, Dr Rubí Puig’s help has been essential for me during all these years. This PhD dissertation was not possible without his dedication and wisdom. The merits of this thesis are due to him; the many mistakes of it are all mine. As a researcher myself, I was embarked at the precise time this PhD dissertation was conceived in a new project funded by the Spanish Government about the role of active audiences in journalism. I offered the heads of that project, Dr Pere Masip of the Ramon Llull University and Dr Lluís Codina of the Pom- peu Fabra University, to devote my dedication to the project to analyze the legal aspects regarding intellectual property of users. They found it right and promised financial and intellectual sup- port – which I thank them profoundly: pacta sunt servanda, this is the promised result. Without the help of my colleagues, who have at every moment encouraged my efforts, this PhD disserta- tion would not be possible at all. This PhD dissertation, and the previous and preliminary works that had led to this moment, although a personal challenge and result, must be considered a fruit of this project as well.