PA pays out to freelance agency over 'lifted' interview with father of murdered Jo Yeates

The Press Association has agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to the freelance Solent News and Photo news agency in settlement of a dispute over breach of copyright, the National Association of Press Agencies said today.

Solent News and Photo Agency, backed by NAPA, took on PA after the wire service lifted and distributed Solent's interview with the father of murder victim Jo Yeates.

PA at first rejected Solent's assertion that its copyright had been breached when PA reproduced, without permission, the agency's interview with Jo's father when it was published on the Southern Daily Echo website at the same time that the agency sent the story to national newspapers.

David Holt of Solent said: "This was never about money. It was about journalistic practice and, to some extent, the future of journalism, particularly on the internet.

"Our work seems to have been blithely copied and pasted by someone sat at a computer miles away from the subject of the story, in this case grieving relatives, and put out for consumption, apparently without a second thought.

"This wasn't a case of someone grabbing a couple of quotes. It was a wholesale lift. We had filed 237 words, the piece by PA which was published in numerous newspapers and websites was 241 words and included the attribute 'told the Southern Daily Echo,' which was of course wrong.

"There followed a series of exchanges with PA in which they first tried to argue 'there is no copyright on news' and then, without a hint of irony, tried to hide behind fair usage under copyright legislation. They refused point blank to withdraw the story.

"We ended-up head to head with PA's lawyers. They tried to tell us that they had every right, that we did not have a case and even threatened to sue us if we dared to suggest that there was anything untoward.

"With the backing of NAPA the case was referred to specialist media lawyers and we are pleased to have reached a settlement. We shall be donating the money to the Journalists' Charity."

NAPA enlisted the services of specialist IP lawyer Bill Lister of Pannone LLP, who engaged with PA's lawyers. NAPA says this intervention resulted in a full written settlement with PA in which the wire service agreed to pay Solent and NAPA's legal costs in full.

Lister said: "Solent News, supported by NAPA, made a complaint of copyright infringement against PA which has been settled entirely to the satisfaction of Solent News and NAPA. This vindicates Solent News' original complaint."

NAPA president Denis Cassidy added: "The suggestion that copy can be lifted wholesale is completely wrong and there was an important matter of principle at stake.

"We supported Solent and when they found themselves ranged against the legal might of the national wire service. NAPA was pleased to be able to back the action of one of our members."

• NAPA protests to PA over lifted agency interview
  

PA photographer shot covering east Belfast riots

A Press Association photographer was injured in a shooting as rioting erupted for a second night in east Belfast, reports the Belfast Telegraph.

It says: "Three shots were fired during the disturbances around the Short Strand area of east Belfast, which has seen its most serious rioting for several years.

"The Press Association photographer, who was covering the violence, suffered an injury to the leg and was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital, where he was said to be in a stable condition."

The Times has named the shot photographer as Niall Carson.

BBC Northern Ireland quotes another photographer who was with other media on the Lower Newtownards Road when the shooting happened.

He said: "I looked back and there was somebody peering over the wall and he shot about five or six rounds," he said. "We were all just running. The next thing I know a colleague of mine, he yells, 'I've been shot, I've been shot', and I looked back and his leg on the bottom part, I don't know if he was grazed, or if the bullet went in or what, but I looked at his trousers and his trousers were all stained. It was wet, it was obviously blood."

The BBC says police appealed for all media to stay out of east Belfast "for their own safety".

Update: The NUJ has strongly condemned the shooting of Niall Carson, who is a member of the union.

NUJ Irish secretary Séamus Dooley said the shooting represents an attack on the media in Northern Ireland and was “an extremely worrying development”. He added: “Niall Carson was injured while doing his job. It is vital that journalists should be allowed to carry out their duties without fear of attack from any quarter. This incident is part of a sinister assault on the people of Northern Ireland. The riots of the past two days represent a wider attack on the community, who have a right to live in peace. Our thoughts are with all those who have suffered as a result of the riots over the past 48 hours”.

NUJ general secretary-elect Michelle Stanistreet said: "This shooting is a sharp reminder of the dangers faced by media workers in conflict situations. Journalists and their employers must be mindful of the safety implications of covering conflict situations, while there is also a responsibility on the police to ensure that the media are allowed to carry out their duties in the public interest”.

• Sky News reports police in Northern Ireland have blamed dissident republicans for the gunfire during the rioting.