Hollywood’s five major studios’ licensing agreements with leading European pay TV operators such as the UK’s BSkyB and France’s Canal+ are to be investigated by the European Commission (EC).
EC Commissioner for Competition Policy Joaquín Almunia said the investigation would investigate the “restrictions” in agreements between film studios and pay-tv broadcasters that grant “absolute territorial exclusivity”.
It will focus on the biggest European broadcasters: BSkyB in the UK, Sky Italia in Italy, Vivendi’s Canal+ in France, Sky Deutschland in Germany and DTS in Spain.
Film studios that will be probed include 21st Century Fox, Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, NBC Universal and Paramount.
Speaking about the current “restrictions”, Almunia said: “Such provisions ensure that the films licensed by the Us studios are shown exclusively in the Member State where each broadcaster operates via satellite and the internet. They prevent access by subscribers who are located outside the licensed territory.”
“If you subscribe...
EC Commissioner for Competition Policy Joaquín Almunia said the investigation would investigate the “restrictions” in agreements between film studios and pay-tv broadcasters that grant “absolute territorial exclusivity”.
It will focus on the biggest European broadcasters: BSkyB in the UK, Sky Italia in Italy, Vivendi’s Canal+ in France, Sky Deutschland in Germany and DTS in Spain.
Film studios that will be probed include 21st Century Fox, Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, NBC Universal and Paramount.
Speaking about the current “restrictions”, Almunia said: “Such provisions ensure that the films licensed by the Us studios are shown exclusively in the Member State where each broadcaster operates via satellite and the internet. They prevent access by subscribers who are located outside the licensed territory.”
“If you subscribe...
- 1/14/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
European commission concerned 'territorial exclusivity' agreements may affect consumers' rights to view content
European competition regulators have launched an investigation into the exclusive deals pay-tv companies such as BSkyB have with the major Hollywood film studios.
The European Commission said that it intends to look into the "restrictions" in agreements between film studios and pay-tv companies that grant "absolute territorial exclusivity".
Joaquín Almunia, the EC vice president with responsibility for competition policy, said the investigation will focus on the biggest European broadcasters: BSkyB in the UK, Sky Italia in Italy, Vivendi's Canal+ in France, Sky Deutschland in Germany and DTS in Spain.
The film studios that will be scrutinised are listed as Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox, Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, NBC Universal and Paramount.
Murdoch's company owns Sky Italia, 39.1% of BSkyB and 54.5% of Sky Deutschland.
"The investigation will allow us to look at the restrictions in agreements between...
European competition regulators have launched an investigation into the exclusive deals pay-tv companies such as BSkyB have with the major Hollywood film studios.
The European Commission said that it intends to look into the "restrictions" in agreements between film studios and pay-tv companies that grant "absolute territorial exclusivity".
Joaquín Almunia, the EC vice president with responsibility for competition policy, said the investigation will focus on the biggest European broadcasters: BSkyB in the UK, Sky Italia in Italy, Vivendi's Canal+ in France, Sky Deutschland in Germany and DTS in Spain.
The film studios that will be scrutinised are listed as Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox, Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, NBC Universal and Paramount.
Murdoch's company owns Sky Italia, 39.1% of BSkyB and 54.5% of Sky Deutschland.
"The investigation will allow us to look at the restrictions in agreements between...
- 1/13/2014
- by Mark Sweney
- The Guardian - Film News
The European Union’s Creative Europe framework programme has been given a resounding vote of confidence by the European Parliament.
A total of 650 of the MEPs voted for the programme’s text, 32 against and 10 abstained from voting in the plenary session in Strasbourg today.
In fact, the European Commission (EC) was so convinced of the direction that the vote would take that it issued its press release about the MEPs’ decision even before the vote had been taken at 12noon on Tuesday
The seven-year programme from 2014-2020 will have an overall budget of $2bn (€1.46bn) - 9% more than current levels - and will support the cultural and creative sectors across Europe.
The programme will allocate at least 56% of its budget for the Media sub-programme for audiovisual and the cinema and at least 31% for the Culture sub-programme for performing and visual arts. This broadly reflects the share of funding that the two areas currently receive.
A maximum...
A total of 650 of the MEPs voted for the programme’s text, 32 against and 10 abstained from voting in the plenary session in Strasbourg today.
In fact, the European Commission (EC) was so convinced of the direction that the vote would take that it issued its press release about the MEPs’ decision even before the vote had been taken at 12noon on Tuesday
The seven-year programme from 2014-2020 will have an overall budget of $2bn (€1.46bn) - 9% more than current levels - and will support the cultural and creative sectors across Europe.
The programme will allocate at least 56% of its budget for the Media sub-programme for audiovisual and the cinema and at least 31% for the Culture sub-programme for performing and visual arts. This broadly reflects the share of funding that the two areas currently receive.
A maximum...
- 11/19/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
The European Commission (EC) has finally adopted a new Communication on state aid for films and other audiovisual works.
The new Communication, which comes into effect as soon as it appears in the EU’s Official Journal covers, as today’s text says, “in particular, (…) State aid for a wider scope of activities, highlights the principle of subsidiarity in the area of cultural policy and the respect of internal market principles, introduces a higher maximum aid intensity level for cross-border productions and caters for the protection of and access to film heritage.”
“The Commission believes that these changes are necessary in view of the developments since 2001 and will help European works to be more competitive and pan-European in future.”
In something akin to understatement, the Commission said that the issue of territorial obligations had attracted “particular attention” and noted in its new text that “Paragraph 50 (of the Communication) sets the limits for each mechanism within which the Commission...
The new Communication, which comes into effect as soon as it appears in the EU’s Official Journal covers, as today’s text says, “in particular, (…) State aid for a wider scope of activities, highlights the principle of subsidiarity in the area of cultural policy and the respect of internal market principles, introduces a higher maximum aid intensity level for cross-border productions and caters for the protection of and access to film heritage.”
“The Commission believes that these changes are necessary in view of the developments since 2001 and will help European works to be more competitive and pan-European in future.”
In something akin to understatement, the Commission said that the issue of territorial obligations had attracted “particular attention” and noted in its new text that “Paragraph 50 (of the Communication) sets the limits for each mechanism within which the Commission...
- 11/14/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
It's a filmmaker's dream, with over 30 square kilometres of sets and support facilities sitting beside the sea on the beautiful Alicante coast - but Ciudad De La Luz is in trouble. Its management company filed for bankruptcy in January and now the European Commission has ruled that government subsidies to keep it afloat were in breach of competition laws.
Despite the studio's popularity with filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, Competition Commission Vice President Joaquín Almunia is dismissive of its economic potential, arguing that a commercially minded investor would have located it closer to an established media centre like Madrid. Consequently, his Commission has ruled that no private investor would have stepped in when the Spanish government did, and that its support distorted the market and amounts to unfair competition. Mr Almunia also contends that Spain's film industry is thriving and cannot be said to need the extra funding.
Ciudad De La.
Despite the studio's popularity with filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, Competition Commission Vice President Joaquín Almunia is dismissive of its economic potential, arguing that a commercially minded investor would have located it closer to an established media centre like Madrid. Consequently, his Commission has ruled that no private investor would have stepped in when the Spanish government did, and that its support distorted the market and amounts to unfair competition. Mr Almunia also contends that Spain's film industry is thriving and cannot be said to need the extra funding.
Ciudad De La.
- 5/9/2012
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
It's a filmmaker's dream, with over 30 square kilometres of sets and support facilities sitting beside the sea on the beautiful Alicante coast - but Ciudad De La Luz is in trouble. Its management company filed for bankruptcy in January and now the European Commission has ruled that government subsidies to keep it afloat were in breach of competition laws.
Despite the studio's popularity with filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, Competition Commission Vice President Joaquín Almunia is dismissive of its economic potential, arguing that a commercially minded investor would have located it closer to an established media centre like Madrid. Consequently, his Commission has ruled that no private investor would have stepped in when the Spanish government did, and that its support distorted the market and amounts to unfair competition. Mr Almunia also contends that Spain's film industry is thriving and cannot be said to need the extra funding.
Ciudad De La.
Despite the studio's popularity with filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, Competition Commission Vice President Joaquín Almunia is dismissive of its economic potential, arguing that a commercially minded investor would have located it closer to an established media centre like Madrid. Consequently, his Commission has ruled that no private investor would have stepped in when the Spanish government did, and that its support distorted the market and amounts to unfair competition. Mr Almunia also contends that Spain's film industry is thriving and cannot be said to need the extra funding.
Ciudad De La.
- 5/9/2012
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
It's a filmmaker's dream, with over 30 square kilometres of sets and support facilities sitting beside the sea on the beautiful Alicante coast - but Ciudad De La Luz is in trouble. Its management company filed for bankruptcy in January and now the European Commission has ruled that government subsidies to keep it afloat were in breach of competition laws.
Despite the studio's popularity with filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, Competition Commission Vice President Joaquín Almunia is dismissive of its economic potential, arguing that a commercially minded investor would have located it closer to an established media centre like Madrid. Consequently, his Commission has ruled that no private investor would have stepped in when the Spanish government did, and that its support distorted the market and amounts to unfair competition. Mr Almunia also contends that Spain's film industry is thriving and cannot be said to need the extra funding.
Ciudad De La.
Despite the studio's popularity with filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, Competition Commission Vice President Joaquín Almunia is dismissive of its economic potential, arguing that a commercially minded investor would have located it closer to an established media centre like Madrid. Consequently, his Commission has ruled that no private investor would have stepped in when the Spanish government did, and that its support distorted the market and amounts to unfair competition. Mr Almunia also contends that Spain's film industry is thriving and cannot be said to need the extra funding.
Ciudad De La.
- 5/9/2012
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
EC says Spanish subsidies to Ciudad De La Luz were illegal.
It's a filmmaker's dream, with over 30 square kilometres of sets and support facilities sitting beside the sea on the beautiful Alicante coast - but Ciudad De La Luz is in trouble. Its management company filed for bankruptcy in January and now the European Commission has ruled that government subsidies to keep it afloat were in breach of competition laws.
Despite the studio's popularity with filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, Competition Commission Vice President Joaquín Almunia is dismissive of its economic...
It's a filmmaker's dream, with over 30 square kilometres of sets and support facilities sitting beside the sea on the beautiful Alicante coast - but Ciudad De La Luz is in trouble. Its management company filed for bankruptcy in January and now the European Commission has ruled that government subsidies to keep it afloat were in breach of competition laws.
Despite the studio's popularity with filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, Competition Commission Vice President Joaquín Almunia is dismissive of its economic...
- 5/9/2012
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
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