Polish copyright law amendment falls short of media organisations’ expectations

Last week, the Sejm, Poland’s parliament, passed a crucial amendment to the country’s copyright legislation in line with the European Union’s 2019 directive. This amendment mandates that big tech, such as Google and Meta’s Facebook, compensate publishers for reusing their content. Essentially, these legislative changes aim to ensure that Polish media outlets receive fair remuneration for their work, aligning with the broader EU standards.

Despite intense lobbying by Polish publishers for provisions that would bolster their negotiating power, the final version of the amended law has left media organisations disappointed. 

Namely, around 350 local news organisations are calling on the Polish government to support more equitable legislation. They stress that without regulatory backing, the situation will likely devolve into prolonged and costly legal battles, threatening local media’s economic stability and future viability. Drawing parallels with France, where publishers have faced prolonged court disputes and fines against Google, Polish media warn of a similar fate if fair negotiation terms are not instituted.

Why does it matter?

As discussed in our analysis of The age of AI-generated content, AI’s rapid advancement blurs human-machine creativity lines, prompting complex IP questions. Legislators face the question of whether to grant AI IP protection. This challenges traditional authorship norms. Balancing AI innovation encouragement with IP rights protection is crucial. A stance restricting IP to human creators could hinder AI development, while different policies could impact human creativity. Collaboration among policymakers, developers, and creators is essential.