2026 annual review · Editorial allocation: 9/2026. Added retrospectively on 13 November 2026. The allocation date is not the original publication date.
C-598/24 of 3 September 2026 concerns a Facebook text reproduced by an online newspaper. Length and publication platform do not alone determine protection.
Legal context
The assessment includes whether the text is the author’s own intellectual creation. The Court also considered the current-events reporting exception. The extent of reproduction must be justified by its informational purpose; full reproduction is not automatically permitted. The provision does not support a general exclusion of commercial reporting. The final assessment of the underlying dispute remains with the national court.
Four practical examples
These illustrative scenarios are not reports of client mandates.
Full repost
An editor assesses why reproducing the entire text would be necessary.
Short text
A business examines the actual expression rather than treating every short text as free to use.
Attribution
A newsroom records the source and author without confusing attribution with permission.
Current event
The informational purpose is assessed against the particular report and timing.
Preparing the next step
Preserve the relevant agreements, technical records and correspondence. Identify the decision required and any deadline. The legal assessment depends on the individual facts and applicable rules.