According to  Article L122-5 9° of the French Intellectual Property Code, press publications benefit from an exception to copyright when they use works "for the exclusive purpose of immediate information". This exception exempts them from requesting a license and from paying reproduction fees if the work reproduced or its author are the subject of a news item (e.g.: exhibition announcement, inauguration, vernissage, etc.).

It is specified that such reproductions must "by their number or their format" remain "in strict proportion to the exclusive purpose of immediate information". In practice, two reproductions of less than a quarter of a page (for the written press) or two reproductions throughout the event in question (for the online press) are exempt from copyright fees and from the license application procedure.