A father and son who run a number of pubs in the northern UK city of Kingston upon Hull are liable to fines and costs of some £116,000 (€138,000) for allowing streaming of Premier League football over the Internet in 11 of their establishments. Alister Darroch and his son Charles (who coincidentally share the same […]
The US House of Representatives has voted to overturn the FCC’s proposed rules barring ISPs from blocking legal content but do allow certain rationing of downloading. The vote would block funds to implement rules proposed by the Federal Communications Commission in December. The measure had been added as an amendment to a sweeping spending bill […]
A reduction in the time allowed for advertisements on commercial broadcasting channels has been called for by the House of Lords Communications Committee, who report that existing regulation of the market is no longer relevant in the digital age and doesn’t serve the best interests of viewers. The Committee – part of the UK parliament’s […]
The Spanish Government has approved a new piece of legislation to regulate HDTV content and the use of the multiplex capacity on DTT. The new rule obliges broadcasters to inform viewers about HDTV broadcasts that must meet at least 720 active lines under 16:9 format in the production process. The new rule aims to avoid […]
Broadcast regulator Ofcom has unveiled the logo that licensed TV channels must use to signal to viewers when a UK-produced programme contains product placement. The logo must appear for three seconds at the start and end of programmes, and after any advertising breaks. Broadcasters will be allowed to adapt slightly the logo, according to Ofcom […]
LG Electronics has filed two cease and desist requests with the US International Trade Commisson (ITC) over alleged patent infringements by Sony. LG is claiming that the Japanese company has infringed its patents on Blu-ray drive technology in the PS3 and in digital TV technology in Internet connected Bravia TVs. There are four patents at […]
The US government will propose a set of Internet piracy rules as the government seeks to “improve intellectual property enforcement,” says Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator Victoria Espinel. A number of Federal agencies including the US Departments of Commerce, Homeland Security and Justice, as well as the Office of the US Trade Representative, have developed a […]
Opening up access to online content is a good start in ending fragmentation in the digital Single Market, according to Neelie Kroes, the EU Commissioner responsible for the Digital Agenda. Speaking at a London event on ‘Building a Digital Single Market: Delivering Benefits of the Digital Economy to Europe’s Citizens’, she said that “every gap, […]
Four groups have ‘friended’ ivi.tv, the Seattle company streaming TV signals online without broadcasters’ consent. Public Knowledge and three other organisations filed an amicus brief with the US District Court in New York backing ivi.tv. The streamer is the subject of a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by broadcasters seeking to shut it down. Public Knowledge, […]
A coalition of UK rights holders including the Premier League and trade bodies representing the music, film and TV are preparing to oppose ISPs in the judicial review of legislation to tackle illegal downloading. The Premier League and eight other organisations, including the Producers’ Alliance for Cinema and Television (Pact), the Motion Picture Association and […]