Advanced Television

Regulation

Ofcom’s ‘P’ for product placement

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 […]

February 14, 2011

Live stream hole in BBC licensing

The BBC will be disappointed that its launch of an iPlayer app for iPad and Android was firstly leaked by its own staff and has now been overshadowed in the press by reports that it has no way of stopping licence fee evaders watching live TV on their devices. A report in The Telegraph points […]

February 10, 2011

LG: Sony connected TVs breach patents

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 […]

February 10, 2011

US moves on online piracy

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 […]

February 9, 2011

Sky Movies makes “excess profits”

The UK Competition Commission probe into BSkyB finds it has “consistently” earned “excess profits” on its Sky Movies packages, that’s  the conclusion of a working paper published on its website. It says that while some of Sky’s excess profits may be due to innovation or competitor weakness, “we would not expect such profits to persist […]

February 8, 2011

Kroes calls for single content market

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, […]

February 8, 2011By Colin Mann

Free speech lobby back TV streamer ivi

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, […]

February 2, 2011

Ofcom to review Digital Economy Act

Ofcom will review some parts of the much criticised Digital Economy Act, which was rushed through parliament by the previous Labour government before the general election in May, to see if they are feasible, the UK government has confirmed. Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has asked the communications regulator to assess whether the Act’s reserve powers […]

February 1, 2011

Marvell joins HomeGrid Forum board of directors

Marvell Semiconductor has joined HomeGrid Forum and has been appointed to the organisation’s board of directors. Marvell will join Best Buy, BT, Intel, Lantiq, Sigma Designs, Telefonica, Texas Instruments and others on the board.  Marvell’s addition to the board reinforces the growing importance and broadening adoption of G.hn as the next-generation global standard for wired […]

February 1, 2011

Rights holders defend Digital Economy Act

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 […]

January 31, 2011