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The Swedish public service television broadcaster, SVT, was found guilty of copyright infringement. In four different programmes SVT did not mention the composers of the music that was played in the programmes. One of the programmes, Kulturjournalen, has been subject of a potentially important judgement of the Supreme Court. The programme reported on cultural news and the music in question was played in its entirety in an item on a theatre play. The item was made in view of both the 100 years celebration of the poet behind the music and the economic situation of the National Touring Theatre. The...

A governmental committee in Sweden has examined the need for changes in existing laws in the area of document transmittal and verification by electronic documents and services. The report is based upon three parts. The first part deals with governmental authorities' management of documents an the utilization of IT in administrative funtions. The second part addresses questions relating to civil law as it pertains to the management of electronic documentation. The report finds that most of the questions that arise may be answered within the frameword of current contractual law, since this is commonly...

The Swedish Minister of Culture has announced that she favours the introduction of a 6% VAT rate for the exhibition of films in cinemas. Until now, these exhibitions were exempted from VAT. The rate is not expected to influence the film production support system agreed upon between the State and the industry, which is based on a special levy on all cinema tickets.

Negotiations on a second term of licence from 1998 onwards have been opened between the Swedish Government and the licence holder TV 4 AB, by way of a formal notification from the Government on the termination of the agreement. Though the field is, in principle, open for new applicants, TV 4 is expected to get a new licence. The introduction of digital television (see IRIS 1996-4: 11) is expected to influence the licence conditions since the monopoly position of TV 4 as a private commercial broadcaster is likely to end.

A report on the introduction of digital terrestial broadcasting in Sweden commissioned by the Swedish Government has now been published. The report stresses the strategic importance of the development of a terrestial digital network system that is accessible and promotes free competition, as opposed to a closed private monopolised system which would impair the opportunities of efficiently using digital technology. In the report it is proposed that the Swedish Parliament decides in spring 1996 on the digitalisation of the terrestial network. It is also proposed that the development of digital transmitters...