Last Sunday, the Representatives of the Italian audio-visual sector gathered at the seminar on the Proposed Sat Cab Regulation (Satellite and Cable Directive), by calling upon the Members of the European Parliament to delete Article 2 of that Proposal. ANICA and Association 100autori promoted the debate, emphasising the Italian and European situation and bearing in mind the Digital Single Market too. The territorial exclusivities have been the subject of the debate, since theirimportance are fundamental for the existence of works created between operators of different countries. As reaffirmed in the common statement of 100autori and ANICA, the implementation of the Regulation would involve different risks: “a licensee broadcaster with TV utilization rights of an audio-visual work for the territory of a Member State could make this work available online (simulcast or catch-up) in all EU countries. It’s like a 27-for-1 coupon”. The territorial exclusivities at Community level would be compromised, since the existing legislation in the field of copyright. According to President of ANICA Francesco Rutelli, “no producer has the possibility to fund a European project drawing on the resources of their own country alone. The model underlying pre-buys and co-productions is based on the exploitative exclusivity on a territorial basis, which would be deleted from the Regulation under consideration in Brussels. The online services are fundamental for the distribution; it’s crazy to consider them as “accessories” nowadays. The European Parliament has a great responsibility in expressing a balanced and pro-European creativity position, as well as the European Council, through the Representatives of each Country”. Moreover, according to President of 100autori and screenwriter Stefano Sardo, the Regulation is harmful both to the copyright and the whole production world. The meeting ended with a “position paper” signed by the entire audio-visual sector (100autori, Association of Cinema and Television Authorship, ANAC, National Association of Cinema Authors, ANEC, National Association of Cinema Operators, ANEM, National Association of Multiplex Operators, ANICA, National Association of Cinema, Audio-visual and Multimedia Industries, APT, Association of Television Producers, Cartoon Italia, National Association of Animation Producers, EPC, European Producers Club, FAPAV, Federation for the Protection of Audio-visual and Multimedia Content, MEDIASET, SKY, UNIVIDEO, Italian Union of Audio-visual Publishing, Digital and Online Media), by formally requesting the Members of the European Parliament to withdraw this Proposal that extends the country-of-origin principle to broadcasters’ online services. The project will be discussed and voted at the end of September in the Committee on Legal Affairs of the European Parliament.
Venice, the audio-visual sector acts in defence of the cultural and creative industry.
