Agencies limit coverage over FIFA copyright claim

News agencies including Agence France-Presse are reducing coverage of the inaugural FIFA women’s football convention beginning Thursday because the football body insists it owns the copyright to content produced by the agencies.

The News Media Coalition said AFP, Thomson Reuters, Associated Press, Britain’s Press Association, Spanish agency EFE and others will not cover the conference in Paris in the video.

They say FIFA has rejected repeated requests for the assignment of copyright requirement to be removed from FIFA’s terms and conditions applying to media accredited for the event.

The event, featuring top football administrators and politicians, is taking place to coincide with Friday’s start of the women’s World Cup in France.

The NMC urged FIFA to reconsider its position.

“There is still time for FIFA to review and make clear it will not claim copyright in news content which is rightfully in the ownership of news organisations creating it,” the NMC said in a statement.

NMC Director Andrew Moger said: “It is extremely unfortunate that FIFA has taken this stance as everyone has been keen to see what is next for the growth of women’s football, and how the news media can play a role.”