Ofcom is publishing two updates as part of its ongoing work to implement the Media Act. The Media Act imposes new standards requirements on streaming services (known as on-demand programme services, or ODPS) which people in the UK watch across a range of platforms and devices. Well-known ODPS services include Disney+, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer […]
UK digital infrastructure provider Openreach has exited the Deddington Exchange in Oxfordshire, making it the first of 4,600 exchanges across the UK to be fully de-commissioned as part of a nationwide shift from copper networks to digital full fibre infrastructure. Deddington also becomes the first UK location to see the closure of BT’s copper based […]
In what is described as a “groundbreaking” ruling, the District Court of Aachen in Germany has convicted the operator of illicit cyberlocker Share-Online to a two-year suspended prison term – sending a message that those who operate cyberlockers to facilitate digital piracy can and will be held criminally accountable for fueling online piracy. This action […]
Online piracy has evolved into a structural threat to Europe’s cultural sovereignty, competitiveness and consumer safety, according to the Alliance Against Audiovisual Piracy (AAPA). The Alliance notes that the European Commission’s report recognises that existing voluntary and non-binding approaches to online piracy have not delivered the intended results. Piracy continues to grow in scale and […]
The Live Content Coalition, representing Europe’s leading commercial broadcasters and VoD services, sports organisations, and live content producers and exhibitors, says it agrees with the European Commission’s conclusions regarding the inefficacy of its Recommendation on combatting online piracy of sports and other live events, set out in its assessment published on November 20th. The Commission’s […]
Spain’s top-flight football league La Liga says it is awaiting the European Commission strengthening its Recommendation on combatting online piracy of sports and other live events, following the conclusions presented on November 20th. These conclusions are the result of thorough monitoring by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), which acknowledged the Recommendation’s ineffectiveness, the […]
The Public Accounts Committee of the UK House of Commons has warned that if the collection and enforcement of the licence fee is not modernised, the BBC risks compliant fee payers questioning the fairness of the system. In a new report on the BBC’s accounts, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warns that the broadcaster’s mission […]
At the 2025 IP Champion Awards reception, the US Chamber of Commerce brought together business leaders, policymakers, and creators to celebrate those leading the fight to safeguard IP. According to US Chamber research, IP supported: • Over $5 trillion (€4.3trn) in jobs across all industries and states. • $799 billion in R&D spending. • $140.36 […]
MOAs announced in its review of Public Service Media, Ofcom is seeking views on areas where broadcast regulation might be reformed or streamlined to support growth and innovation across the sector. The majority of the existing broadcasting legislative and regulatory framework was designed for a world of linear, scheduled programming. While the media regulator is […]
Anti-piracy body the International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) has confirmed that a lawsuit filed by member company DISH Network against Virtual Systems, LLC and its owner and CEO, Vyacheslav Smyrnov, has resulted in a $41.85 million (€36m) judgment. The lawsuit against Virtual Systems and Smyrnov, filed in October 2024, alleged that Virtual Systems implemented […]