Every 26th of April, News Media Europe celebrates the World Intellectual Property Day. This year, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) marks the day under the theme “IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate”.
As the world gets ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the attention is not only on the game itself, but also on the information ecosystems that shape how billions of people experience it. From real-time, multilingual game analysis to photographs that capture defining moments, journalism plays a central role in connecting global audiences to major sporting events. Yet, as artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the way in which we consume media, the sustainability of the press sector and high-quality reporting is under increasing pressure. Global events depend on verified timely information, diverse perspectives, and the ability to counter misinformation, but in the age of AI summaries, these values are being lost.
For Europe’s press publishers, the message is clear: there can be no sustainable innovation race without enforceable rights, fair rules, and the respect for cultural and creative works. “Ready, Set, Innovate” must not become a race in which dominant players surge ahead while the creators, journalists, editors and publishers, whose work powers AI systems, are left behind.
This is particularly relevant in the context of the on-going review of the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. News Media Europe reinforces that the current EU Copyright framework remains robust but lacks the guardrails and effective enforcement in the age of AI. As the unauthorized use of copyrighted content expands beyond training to inference, fine-tuning and retrieval augment generation, copyright policy must be coordinated alongside other areas such as AI governance, platform regulation, competition and cybersecurity policy. The Commission should advance concrete, future-proof solutions through a coordinated approach across these areas.
NME therefore calls on the Commission to explore and launch targeted measures that:
- Deliver meaningful transparency about when and how press content is used by tech companies, backed by a presumption of use,
- Support effective licensing markets that enable fair remuneration,
- Guarantee robust and workable opt-outs,
- Ensure strong enforcement of these rules through timely, and proportionate mechanisms, and,
- Prevent retaliatory practices against rightsholders who seek to enforce their rights.
As the world unites for the upcoming World Cup, we celebrate not only the sport but the integrity of the content behind every story told. World IP Day reminds us that respecting copyright is not a constraint on innovation, it is an essential foundation. In the age of AI, this principle becomes ever more important. Building a trustworthy and sustainable AI ecosystem means ensuring that the creative world underpinning it, is protected, valued, and remunerated. This way, the people and the stories shaping the global moments continue to inform and inspire.
Contact: Daria Istayeva, daria.istayeva@newsmediaeurope.eu