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The UK Government has announced a review of international film co-production treaties (see IRIS 1995-2: 8 and IRIS 1998-6: 11). The aim is "to ensure they are bringing real cultural and economic benefits to the UK" e.g., film-industry related jobs and use of film making facilities. The review will analyse existing treaties and advise whether there should be new ones. The terms of reference for the review are: - To review and make recommendations for the redefinition of the current legislative definition of a "British film", geared to the twin issues of cultural expression and industry economics;...

The UK Government has (somewhat belatedly) implemented the Directive of 22 May 2001 on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society (see IRIS 2001-5: 3 and IRIS 2003-8: 6). Implementation has taken place through the Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003, which amend the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The Regulations came into effect on 31 October 2003. The Regulations are long and complex; the main effects are as follows. They redefine the meaning of "broadcast" (to which copyright protection applies) in section 6 of the Act,...

On 18 September 2003, the UK Parliament published its Committee on Culture Media and Sport's Report on the British Film Industry. The Committee reports that "[t]here is a British film industry" but that "there are longstanding chronic difficulties." However, the Committee is also of the view that "[p]ublic policy has a role to play in strengthening the industry in order to generate substantial economic rewards and important cultural benefits." A central conclusion is that it is essential to maintain an "attractive tax regime", but that in reviewing it, "the Government should assess whether there...

The British Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has accepted a recommendation from the Competition Commission that a merger between the two major UK broadcasters on ITV (Channel 3), Carlton and Granada, should be permitted to go ahead, subject to conditions relating to advertising sales (for the reference of the merger to the authorities see IRIS 2003-4: 9). The effect will be to create a single company owning ITV in England (although in Scotland separate ownership will remain). This was one of the last mergers to be referred under the Fair Trading Act 1973, which places the final decision...

The UK has amended the definition of "independent producer" for the purposes of section 16 of the Broadcasting Act 1990, which requires that independent productions form at least 25% of programmes broadcast by the major broadcasters. This in turn implements the requirements on independent productions of the "Television Without Frontiers" Directive. The new amending order makes two important changes to the definition of "independent producer". The first is to provide that the previous exclusion of any producer in which a broadcaster owned more than 15% of shares applies only to UK broadcasters....