By Tassilo Hummel and Mathieu Rosemain

PARIS

LVMH-owned newspaper group Les Echos-Le Parisien is not participating in a lawsuit against Elon Musk’s X, which it initially intended to join, as confirmed by a court official and multiple media sources.

In November, Les Echos-Le Parisien and other French newspapers, including those owned by Le Monde and Le Figaro, announced plans to sue X for compensation regarding unpaid content available on the platform. These fees aim to ensure the availability of journalistic content on digital platforms while providing financial stability to publishers, in accordance with the EU’s copyright laws.

Proceeding with the lawsuit would have set LVMH, led by CEO Bernard Arnault, against Musk, a prominent figure allied with U.S. President Donald Trump. Sources indicated that Les Echos-Le Parisien informed other publications about their decision to withdraw from the lawsuit; however, the reasons remain undisclosed.

A spokesperson for Les Echos-Le Parisien acknowledged previous threats of legal action against X but declined to specify further details. LVMH and Musk’s X both refrained from commenting.

In May 2024, the three media groups secured a fast-track court ruling compelling X to provide traffic data and advertising revenues to evaluate compensation for the content.

While Le Monde and Figaro initiated a joint lawsuit last month, Les Echos-Le Parisien was not included in the court filing, according to a judicial clerk.

EU RULES

Les Echos is recognized as France’s premier daily business newspaper, while Le Parisien serves as a general news daily.

Pierre Louette, CEO of Les Echos-Le Parisien, previously asserted that X, like any other platform monetizing their content, must adhere to EU copyright rules, emphasizing the importance of maintaining quality information as the foundation of democracy.

French publishers, including Les Echos-Le Parisien, previously won a ruling against Google in 2021 and negotiated agreements with Meta regarding similar issues. Louette, also chair of France’s main newspaper publishers’ association, reiterated that the law on related rights applies universally.

Recently, Les Echos-Le Parisien joined a group of newspapers in filing a lawsuit against Microsoft’s LinkedIn, with no court date announced yet.

LVMH acquired Les Echos in 2007 and later purchased Le Parisien in 2015, broadening its influence in the media sector. They also took over Paris Match, a notable weekly magazine, and own a French radio station.

Bernard Arnault recently expressed a sense of optimism in the U.S. post-Trump’s election and endorsed Musk’s involvement in the White House. He suggested that France should emulate the U.S. by appointing someone to streamline bureaucracy.