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Fox move on Sky “could take time”

There were reports in the British press this past weekend which suggested that 21st Century Fox and Sky’s lobbyists were briefing UK parliamentary members on their plans for the acquisition by Fox of the rest of Sky (61 per cent) it does not already own. Importantly, the briefings are stressing that the future of Sky […]

January 17, 2017

UK ISPs issue copyright warning letters

UK Internet users who download TV and films illegally may shortly receive letters or emails from their Internet Service Provider (ISP) regarding the use of their broadband connection ‘to share copyrighted material’. Users who use Torrent websites and software to download shows will be targeted, rather than anyone who streams videos. Letters will start being […]

January 17, 2017By Colin Mann

Zuckerberg denies “VR theft” claim in court

Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg is set to appear in a Dallas court to defend his company over claims it stole virtual reality technology. Zenimax Media, owner of renowned games studio id Software, is suing Facebook for a potential $2 billion.  Zenimax argued its early innovations in VR were unlawfully copied when Oculus built its own […]

January 17, 2017

Adult content “hidden” on YouTube

Adult videos and pirate content are secretly being hidden on YouTube.  According to a report by TorrentFreak, pirates are using the site’s video hosting services to host the videos. YouTube has rules banning both sexual content and pirated videos, meaning that none of the videos should be available on the site. But many pirates have […]

January 17, 2017

Viaccess-Orca acquires BigHill

In a move that strengthens its mobile video portfolio and positions it to address the rise in mobile video consumption, content services protection and enhancement specialist Viaccess-Orca has acquired BigHill, a Finland-based software company that specialises in developing mobile apps for TV content. An agreement between the two companies was reached in December 2016. Adding […]

January 17, 2017

Trust chief warns of digital TV piracy risks

The head of pro-copyright education body The Industry Trust for IP Awareness has warned of the risks of pirating film, TV and sports content through unauthorised apps, suggesting that parents who engage in digital TV piracy have no idea of the associated risks to their families. Writing for the Huffington Post, Liz Bales CEO of […]

January 16, 2017By Colin Mann

Greek TV auction must be repeated

The contentious auction of TV broadcast licences must be re-held as soon as possible, according to Greece’s Council of State, in a statement on January 13th. The previous auction, held in September, and which reduced from eight to four the number of channels permitted to transmit (and which had raised €246 million) was declared null […]

January 16, 2017By Chris Forrester

CASBAA: Indian TV regulations threaten investment

CASBAA, the Association of Asia’s pay-TV Industry, has applauded the judicial review now underway in India of proposed extension and tightening of India’s pay-TV rate regulations. The Madras High Court is currently reviewing the clash between the rights of copyright owners around the world and new tariff regulations proposed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of […]

January 16, 2017

VR company Spaces raises additional $6.5m

Spaces, the virtual reality and mixed reality company launched in 2016 by VR pioneers from DreamWorks Animation, has raised an additional $6.5 million (€6.1m) in funding, led by China-based Songcheng Performances Development, with additional investment from Comcast Ventures, the venture-capital affiliate of Comcast Corporation, and other leading VC groups. Combined with a previously announced $30 […]

January 16, 2017

Sony Entertainment chief departing for Snapchat

Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Entertainment, has confirmed that he is departing the company to fully focus on his role as Chair of Snap Inc – owners of social app Snapchat and a company in which he was an early investor. Lynton will stay with Sony for another six months as he works with overall […]

January 16, 2017