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The Stichting Onderhandelingen Thuiskopievergoeding (Foundation for Negotiations on a Levy on the Private Copy - SONT) has recently adopted a regulation providing for the introduction of a levy on blank DVDs, except for DVD-Rams. This instrument extends the existing regulation on levies on blank media, which already covered other blank media such as audio and video tapes and CD-Rs. Pursuant to the new regulation, the existing levies, as well as the new levy on DVDs, will be applied until 31 December 2004. The regulation determines the amount that has to be paid as a levy on blank DVDs. The amounts...

On 6 May 2003, the Eerste Kamer (the Dutch Senate) adopted the Wet elektronische handtekeningen (Act on electronic signatures). This Act implements into Dutch law Directive 1999/93/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 1999 on a Community framework for electronic signatures (see IRIS 2000-1: 5). The Act introduces a number of modifications to the Burgerlijk wetboek (Dutch civil code ­ BW), the Telecommunicatiewet (Telecommunications Act ­ TW) and the Wet op de economische delicten (Law on economic offences ­ Wed). The goal of the new legislation is to facilitate the use...

On 26 February 2003, the district court of Rotterdam (the specialised court for telecommunications) issued a judgment that limits the judicial competence of the Onafhankelijke Post en Telecommunicatie Autoriteit (Independent Post and Telecommunications Authority - OPTA), the Dutch telecommunications regulator, concerning the access of broadcasters to cable networks. Article 8.7 Telecommunicatiewet 1998 (1998 Telecommunications Act - Tw) states that in the case where a broadcasting organisation and a cable network provider fail to reach an agreement on the access of the broadcaster's programmes...

The national film institutes of the 15 Member States of the European Union have made a common declaration on the importance of State aid for European films. This is the first time the film institutes have made a common statement. The national film institutes are publicly funded and were founded to support national and European film culture. In this common declaration the institutes express their concerns regarding the necessity for State aid for European films. The institutes are worried that the audio-visual sector in Europe will be left solely to the chances of free market forces. In the declaration,...

For many years, frequencies for commercial radio (AM and FM) have been allocated on a temporary basis in the Netherlands. For almost a decade, discussions took place on the amount of available frequencies and on how to allocate them. About two years ago, consensus was reached and the decision was taken to use an auction to assign nine national licences for commercial FM radio (frequencies for regional/local commercial radio are also available, but are not further discussed here). This would mean a substantial increase in the number of stations. However, the Dutch Parliament changed its mind and...