The Agence France Presse issued a statement saying the current terms are "totally unacceptable," and hasn't any excluded any way out of this crisis.

The following is the press release issued by the World Association of Newspapers today, in response to the talks of Aug 16 and the evolution of the agreement since then: 

"As the Rugby World Cup is set to begin in France later this week, media restrictions imposed by the International Rugby Board threaten full press coverage of the events.

The World Association of Newspapers and an international coalition of news agencies, newspapers and press associations have expressed dismay at the IRB's refusal to lift certain restrictions on press coverage following two meetings at the IRB's Dublin headquarters.

The coalition has succeeded in making progress, however. In the run-up to the World Cup, which begins Friday, the IRB has now abandoned or reduced a significant number of restrictions that were contained in the terms and conditions that journalists must sign to gain access to the events.  These include:

-- An increase in the number of photos that can be published digitally. The IRB had originally imposed a limit on digital publication of five photos per half of a match but has now increased this to 20 photos per half during the match, and no limits after the match ends. The coalition believes that no limits on still photos are necessary even during a match.

-- The IRB has removed its requirement that no headlines or captions be superimposed on photos in print publications. This requirement, aimed at preventing sponsors logos from being blocked out, was seen as interfering with the normal editorial process. It is common practice to put headlines and captions on photos.

-- The IRB has agreed to allow photos from news media to be sold to the public, has introduced new procedures so that news organisations can challenge its decision to eject journalists suspected of breaching the rules, and has committed itself to establishing a new dialogue with publishers and news agencies through a new rugby-media commission to be established after the World Cup.

But serious restrictions remain in the terms and conditions for covering the events, notably the IRB's insistence that it is still entitled to be given free, worldwide and life-long use of the news media's copyright images. The coalition has offered to give favorable consideration to IRB requests for photos -- which the IRB verbally accepted in a meeting, though it later reversed itself and insisted that the news media be obligated to allow the IRB use of copyrighted photos.

The IRB also maintains signficant and unrealistic restrictions on the use of audio-visual materials on newspaper web sites, including materials from press conference and non-match day training sessions.

"For months we have attempted to safeguard our desire to brings news of the event to the public through our legitmate editorial operations. We have twice traveled to the IRB's Dublin headquarters in an attempt to ensure that our traditional newspapers and news services are able to carry reports and picutres as and when editors determine and not according to arbitrary IRB rules," said a statement from the coalition, which includes nearly 40 news media organisations.

"These meetings have led to progress in removing some coverage restrictions imposed by the IRB, including their original desire to determine how pictures appeared in our news pages and rules that were seen to limit freedom of expression. However, the IRB has gone back on the some of the outcomes in the most recent Dublin  meeting, particularly its refusal to fully recognise news media copyrights."

The IRB has so far refused to re-open negotiations for coverage of the World Cup, which begins Friday, despite the coalition's wish to do so."

Source: WAN Press Release