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The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is the body that classifies films and videos/DVDs. Originally established as a self-regulatory body by the film industry, it acquired statutory responsibility for videos and DVDs under the Video Recordings Act 1984. It is financed by fees charged for classification, according to a tariff approved by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Classification is carried out through ratings setting out the audience for whom viewing is appropriate (U, PG, 12A, 15, 18, R18). Since 2008 the BBFC has been working with the video industry to provide a content...

The European Commission has finished the preliminary analysis of the measures implementing the Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS) Directive into national law notified by 16 Member States: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Slovakia and the United Kingdom. Subsequently, the European Commission has sent fact-finding letters to these states inquiring about these implementing measures. The Commission is thus seeking to ensure that all provisions of the AVMS Directive have been correctly transposed into...

ITV Broadcasting Limited, ITV 2 Limited, ITV Digital Channels, Channel 4 Television Corporation, 4 Ventures Limited and Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited are alleging that TV Catchup “has infringed the copyrights in their broadcasts by communicating those broadcasts to the public by electronic transmission.” This hearing was generally to determine whether there was any real prospect of the claimants succeeding and whether specifically “the fact that the defendant's transmissions are not broadcasts is necessarily fatal to the claim.” TV Catchup facilitates live video streaming of content (including...

The major controversy over News Corp’s bid for 100% of BSkyB has reached a further stage with the publication by Ofcom of its report on the plurality implications of the bid, recommending that the minister refer it to the Competition Commission for further investigation. The bid has already been cleared on competition grounds by the European Commission (see IRIS 2011-2/4). Under the Enterprise Act 2002, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has the power to specify a “public interest consideration” in a proposed merger relating to the need for a sufficient plurality of persons with...

Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, has issued new rules on product placement following the Government’s decision to permit it subject to restrictions (see IRIS 2010-8/33). The new rules are contained in the revised Broadcast Code and came into effect on 28 February 2011. Product placement is allowed in films (including dramas and documentaries), TV series (including soaps), entertainment shows and sports programmes. The new rules clarify that single dramas fall within the genre of ‘films made for television’ where product placement may take place. But it will be prohibited in all children’s...