DCC 103/2008

This case involved a claim by an individual that he was a co-author of a newspaper article which had received an award. The key issue was how authorship was proven and the impact of having a name in the byline and inside the article.

Background

The Respondent was a journalist working at the second appellant company, a newspaper under supervision of the first Appellant. On 20/6/2005 the newspaper published an article written by the Respondent. On 26/4/2006 Appellant Four (a press club) organised an event during which an award was handed over to Appellant one and Appellant three (the editor in chief of the newspaper) for the article stating that Appellant Three was the author (which was published under the signature of Appellant Three) with no reference to the material and moral rights of the Respondent.