Studios strike deal on movie downloads

By Anna McLauchlin

Date: 11/05/06

Filmmakers and telecom companies have agreed a European Charter to allow broadband internet users legally to download more films, but critics say that the most contentious issues have yet to be resolved.

The charter was drawn up by the European Commission in collaboration with a small group of US and EU companies from both the film and the telecom industries, including Time Warner, Telecom Italia, Vivendi Universal and Belgacom.

The two sides are seen as natural enemies, as access to film content online has deliberately been limited amid fears of piracy.

But they have nevertheless committed themselves to examples of good practice in three main areas that should increase the availability of films online.

According to the charter, the physical availability of films online means that commercial agreements should enable both sides to profit, it should be easy to clear the film rights and the technology used should be consumerfriendly.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and film companies will work together to raise copyright awareness and combat the general perception that online content should be free.

And both sides should also make "all reasonable efforts" to fight piracy, working together to develop copyright protection technology and promoting anti-piracy organisations.

Andrew Bolton, chief operating officer for On Demand Group, an interactive media and content consultancy, said: "It was important that there should be some cross-industry standardisation on securing content, and in that sense the charter will be helpful."

"Now we need to see whether these will develop further into de facto standards."

Philippe Kern from the European Film Companies Alliance (EFCA) said that not enough was done to ensure that film rights would be protected.

He said EFCA wanted a reference to the responsibility of the ISPs to monitor content being used on their platform.

Another film industry representative agreed that both sides had shied away from the most problematic issues. "The main conflict was that content owners wanted ISPs to take responsibility for rights enforcement and the ISPs wanted it to be much easier to license content. Neither of these issues has been fully resolved and will just depend on individual contracts," he said.

Article reports that filmmakers and telecom companies agreed a European Charter to allow broadband internet users legally to download more films. The charter had been drawn up by the European Commission in collaboration with a small group of US and EU companies from both the film and the telecom industries, including Time Warner, Telecom Italia, Vivendi Universal and Belgacom. Critics pointed out that the most contentious issues had yet to be resolved.