Abstract:

At their creation, the rating agencies were like the news agencies because they published newsletters and were paying by contributions subscribers. That method of remuneration then evolved, and these are the debtors who have paid the agencies. Meanwhile, rating methods have gradually evolved to take into account the use of increasingly important to companies called sophisticated financial products such as structured products. Although the method of compensation has evolved, the activity of agencies has not changed and their responsibilities have remained for a long time those news agencies, that is to say protected by freedom of expression.