March 20, 2023

Since its inception, the Arab Fact-checkers  Network (AFCN) led by ARIJ, has recognized that intellectual property and copyrights -in the Network’s Code of Principles– must be respected to prevent any unprofessional abuses that may occur by any fact-checking organisations/initiatives.

In order to enhance the efficiency of the work of fact-checking organisations/initiatives in this regard, AFCN from ARIJ, organised the third webinar of SA7 project, on March 20, 2023 under the title “Intellectual property and Copyrights”, with the participation of more than 80 participants via Zoom and 800 viewers on Facebook, with the trainer Naji AlTamami, investigative reports producer with AlJazeera.

The SA7 project is part of the Qarib program, implemented by the French Media Development Agency (CFI) and funded by the French Development Agency (AFD).

Moderated by Firas Taweel, an investigative journalist and coach  at ARIJ,  in three-hours interactive session, the trainer provided important tips to the fact-checking organisations/initiatives related to protecting themselves from falling into infringement of copyright laws, The trainer confirmed that knowledge of the intellectual property rights has  currently become essential, so that we maintain the credibility of our work and the exiting of our social media platforms that enforce copyright laws.

In response to questions from attendees, AlTamimi stated that the fact-checking work falls under the provision of “fair use” law when posting on social media platforms, provided that its controls are adhered to in order to avoid infiltration of copyright law, including; make a clear description that describes the fact-checking organisations in social media platforms, mentioning the source of published content, and avoiding defamation.

It is worth mentioning that the SA7 project aims to enhance the best practices, methodologies and tools for fact-checking in the Arab region, specifically in 4 countries facing political, economic and security challenges where the  public confidence is declining in the media: Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq.