News

Smart Code d.o.o. joins CEPIC as a new member, bringing over 20 years of experience in AI-driven media technology and digital asset management. Their work supports large-scale photo archives and editorial workflows across the industry.

At the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee of the 2005 UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity, Member States expressed near-unanimous support for developing an additional protocol to strengthen the Convention’s application in the field of artificial intelligence. The European Coalitions for Cultural Diversity welcomed this step, calling for ambitious regulation that protects intellectual property, cultural professions, and diversity within evolving international AI frameworks.

The Swiss Association of Picture Agencies and Photo Archives (SAB) has unanimously voted to dissolve, following decades of service to the industry. Rapid technological change in image communication has fundamentally altered the landscape for picture agencies, leading to a steady decline in membership that ultimately made the association no longer viable in the Swiss market.

In France, a bill establishing a rebuttable presumption of the use of creative content by AI providers is expected to be discussed in the French Senate in April 2026."The Axel Voss Report on AI and Copyright has chosen a similar approach. CEPIC supports this approach.

Italian Television Networks (RTI) and Medusa Film have filed a lawsuit with the Civil Court of Rome against Perplexity AI Inc., a US company operating in generative artificial intelligence.‍This is the first legal action in Italy to challenge copyright infringement related to the use of artificial intelligence.

Mauritius Images has become the exclusive licence distribution partner for Alamy content in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as of 1 January 2026, strengthening its position in the DACH region. The partnership gives customers access to Alamy’s global archive of over 460 million images and videos, combined with Mauritius Images’ local expertise, personalised service and comprehensive licensing support.

The European Publishers Council has filed a formal antitrust complaint with the European Commission, alleging that Google is abusing its dominant position in search by using publishers’ content for AI features without authorisation, fair remuneration, or meaningful opt-out options. The EPC argues that Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode undermine publisher revenues, distort competition, and threaten the sustainability of professional journalism, calling for decisive enforcement and a fair licensing framework.

The IPTC has announced that the next Media Provenance Summit will take place on 16 April 2026 in Toronto, bringing together C2PA implementation experts to explore real-world newsroom adoption of media provenance technologies. Building on a series of successful international events, the summit will focus on practical workflows, compliance, and tools to strengthen trust, transparency, and publisher identity in digital media.