Ceci n'est pas un dictionnaire

NEWSPAPERS all over the world have been pretending to be dictionaries. And they've been losing all over the courts.

The latest to fall is Figaro. The French newspaper had claimed that it had every right to put journalists' work onto the Minitel system, under a "collective work" exemption. Even in famously pro-author French law, these exist to excuse publishers of truly collective works like dictionaries from getting permission from every contributor for every new edition.

The Appeal Court in Paris ruled on 11 May that French papers must get individual permission from journalists - including staff - to put their work out in a new edition or online.

More info: Syndicat national des journalistes