Lithuania

[LT] Rules for the Registration of VoD Service Providers Adopted

IRIS 2011-3:1/26

Jurgita Iešmantaitė

Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania

On 1 January 2011 the Rules for the Registration of VoD service providers came into force. The Rules were adopted on 29 December 2010 by a decision of the Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania (RTCL).

The Rules were prepared in accordance with the requirements for the implementation of the amendments to the Law on the Provision of Information to the Public, which was adopted on 30 September 2010 by the Saeima (Lithuanian Parliament; see IRIS 2011-1/39).

The Law obliges the RTCL to set Rules for the Registration of VoD service providers and to register all such providers that fall under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Lithuania. VoD service providers have to register their services at the RTCL prior to the start of their activities. The Rules determine the data to be provided for registration, i.e., name, code and address of the VoD service company, its type, the coverage of its activities etc.

The Rules also envisage the procedure for cancelling the registration of a VoD service provider in case the company is liquidated or reorganised.

In accordance with the Rules the RTCL is obliged to publish the data and the activities of the VoD service providers that fall under Lithuanian jurisdiction on its website.

It should be noted that such registration of a VoD service provider does not in any way mean the granting of a permit for such activities, but rather is a declaration of the activities and a provision of brief information on the service provider.