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Last year, the Independent Television Commission opened a consultation on the approach to regulation concerning interactive services (see ITC news release of 29 February 2000). The key elements of interactive services were recognised to be (a) viewer choice and (b) viewer responsibility. The spin-off is the potential for certain rules to be amended or disapplied. The consultation related to the two main forms of interactive services: "dedicated interactive services" and "enhanced programme services". The former are "stand-alone services not related to a broadcast programme but accessed primarily...

The political Media Agreement concluded on 28 March 2000, for the period 2001 - 2004 between the Danish government and the political parties Socialistisk Folkeparti (Socialist Popular Party) and Centrum-Demokraterne (Centre-Democrats) has been codified by the Lov om ændring af lov om radio- og fjernsynsvirksomhed og lov om indkomstbeskatning af aktieselskaber m.v. (Act no. 1272 of 20 December 2000 amending the Broadcasting Act and the Act on Income Taxation of Limited Companies). The Act entered into force on 1 January 2001. The principal amendments to the Broadcasting Act are as follows: 1. Public...

The Austrian Government has submitted a draft Federal Act on the Establishment of a National Media Authority, the Austrian Communications Commission (KommAustria). According to Section 1.1 of the Bill, the new authority's basic role would be to assume all regulatory responsibility for the broadcasting and telecommunications fields throughout Austria. At present, these tasks are distributed between the Federal Chancellery and various ministries. The new media authority would, for example, be expected to push for effective competition, reasonably-priced consumer access to communications services,...

On 30 January 2001, the European Commission presented a Communication to the Council and the European Parliament on its policy orientations concerning improving the security of information infrastructures and combating computer-related crime. The importance of network security and the fight against cybercrime are highlighted in the eEurope Action Plan launched by the Commission in June 2000 (see IRIS 2000-6: 5). The Commission feels that information and communication infrastructures have become a critical part of national economies and therefore need to be protected against their own vulnerabilities...

The legislation in Ireland, which regulates the content and supply of videos, is the Video Recordings Act 1989. That Act designated the Film Censor's office as the regulatory body to deal with videos as well as films. The Film Censor has power to classify videos according to age and to refuse certificates for the supply of videos if their content is such that they may inter alia corrupt viewers or incite to crime. The Act, however, does not extend to video games. Initially, this omission did not pose a problem. More recently, developments in the content and range of video games have given rise...