Europe's richest man is suing Elon Musk's social network X, claiming the platform is using content from his newspapers without paying for it.
Bernard Arnault is taking the social networking site to court as part of legal proceedings brought jointly by Le Parisien and Les Echos, the French dailies owned by the LVMH luxury empire.
The lawsuit, which is also supported by Le Figaro and Le Monde, argues that newspapers should be paid according to rules that allow news agencies to be paid by digital platforms to distribute their content.
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The papers said X, formerly known as Twitter, had never agreed to enter into negotiations with French news publishers, unlike Google and Facebook owner Meta, Britain's Telegraph reports.
The lawsuit, which will be heard in Paris next May, sets up a legal battle between two of the world's richest men.
Mr Arnaud, who heads brands including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Givenchy, has traded places with Musk as the world's richest man several times in recent years, although the Tesla and Space X boss holds the present the title. 
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The French tycoon's fortune has fallen by $36 billion so far this year to $171,5 billion amid weakening Chinese demand for luxury goods.
In contrast, Mr. Musk's wealth has increased, particularly since the election of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States. The billionaire has been a prominent supporter of the Republican nominee and, along with Vivek Ramaswamy, to lead a government efficiency "ministry." His fortune increased by $105,5 billion this year to $334,5 billion.
The legal action by Mr Arnaud's newspapers follows a ruling in their favor by a Paris judge in May.
The Paris Magistrates' Court ruled that X had two months to provide commercial data to the group of French publishers, which also included Télérama, Courrier International, Le Huffington Post, Malesherbes Publications and Le Nouvel Obs.
The papers reported that X "has not...complied" with this decision so far, "showing his unwavering desire to avoid his legal obligations".
The group added: "Revenue from these rights, with the investment it would enable its beneficiaries to make, enhances media pluralism, independence and quality, which are essential to freedom of expression and the right to information. our democratic society".
A 2019 European directive allows newspapers, magazines or news agencies to be paid when their content is reused by digital giants.
VIA: https://www.ot.gr
