Italy's Antitrust authority said
Friday that it has ordered social-media giant Meta to resume
negations with Italian copyright-collecting agency SIAE over
music publishing rights.
The authority also said that Meta must put back SIAE-protected
music content on Facebook and Instagram, after getting the
all-clear from the agency.
The Antitrust said earlier this month that it had opened a probe
into Meta following the recent breakdown in negotiations with
SIAE to renew a contract on music rights and the subsequent
removal from Meta's platforms of content protected by the
agency, including on Instagram, which is highly popular with
young people.
The authority said it is looking into whether Meta abused the
SIAE's economic dependence on its contract with it, taking
advantage of the imbalance in bargaining positions to try to get
the agency to accept an inadequate offer for the rights, and
failing to provide the necessary information for the offer to be
properly assessed.
In Friday's statement, the Antitrust said Meta must "maintain
conduct inspired by the canons of good faith and correctness" in
the negotiations.
It also said the social-media giant must provide all the
necessary information needed for the negotiations.
The SIAE has said that it is important that Meta gives "full
disclosure of the data about its revenues" to make it possible
to "calculate the correct royalties".
The probe regards Meta Platform, Meta Platforms Ireland, Meta
Platforms Technologies UK Limited and Facebook Italy.
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