Italy’s antitrust authority moves against Meta in music rights case
2:59 pm Friday, April 21st, 2023
MILAN (Reuters) – Italy’s antitrust authority said on Friday it had taken measures against Meta Platforms over allegations it abused its position in the country, part of an investigation of music rights.
Meta, the U.S. company which owns Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, last month failed to reach a deal with the Italian society of authors and publishers SIAE, to renew copyright licences.
As a result, all songs under SIAE’s books have been blocked on Meta’s sites since March 16.
The watchdog said Meta’s conduct was harming competition in the market and ordered the company to resume talks with SIAE.
A spokesperson for Meta said the company did not agree with the precautionary measures taken by the Italian authority, yet it welcomed the opportunity to resume talks in order to find an agreement.
It later added it would send SIAE another request to prolong its license agreement.
“We believe it is important to collaborate with the music industry,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
SIAE president Salvatore Nastasi said they were ready to negotiate with Meta in the interest of Italian authors.
“We are open to an agreement to put Italian content back on Meta’s platforms and to negotiate constructively, but in compliance with the indications of the antitrust authority,” he told news agency AGI.
(Reporting by Federico Maccioni, editing by Gianluca Semeraro, Nick Macfie and Grant McCool)
