Advanced Television

Policy

Vivendi class action falls

A Class Action lawsuit from Vivendi investors who bought into the company when it was being run by Jean-Marie Messier some 10 years ago, has been largely dismissed. The action, before US District Judge Richard Holwell in Manhattan, argued that Messier and his CFO at the time (Guillaune Hannezo) made materially false or misleading statements […]

February 2, 2012By Chris Forrester

(Student) Senate approves SOPA resolution

Although the two leading anti-piracy bills currently in the US legislature have had their progress halted, support for the measures has come from one element of the student community. After reviewing a Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect Intellectual Property Act resolution that was tabled at a previous meeting, the Student Senate at the Eastern […]

February 2, 2012By Colin Mann

Deutsche Telekom opposes Kabel BW approval

Deutsche Telekom and NetCologne have challenged the German antitrust authority’s approval of Liberty Global’s acquisition of Kabel Baden-Wuerttemberg, Boersen-Zeitung has reported. Concessions accepted by the watchdog don’t guarantee market competition for contracts with housing associations, which often reach long-term agreements with cable operators, the German newspaper reports Deutsche Telekom as saying.

January 31, 2012

BBC privacy charter for web data

The BBC is creating a charter for the use of data on the web. The charter is due to be unveiled within a couple of months and will allow viewers to choose if they want the BBC to delete information the corporation has collected about them via websites such as the iPlayer. BBC director of […]

January 26, 2012

PSBs may get better EPG slots

The UK government’s forthcoming communications green paper (draft law) will suggest broadcasters who commit to showing more public service programmes such as news and children’s programmes could be rewarded with a higher slot on digital TV EPGs. Ed Vaizey, the broadcasting minister, said the regulatory implications of the scheme will be researched by the Department […]

January 25, 2012

EC’s Kroes: SOPA, PIPA pause ‘right thing’

Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda, has supported the decision by US legislators to put a hold on the contentious SOPA and PIPA bills and seek a better anti-piracy solution. She also confirmed that the Commission would present a European ‘Cloud’ Strategy, as well as issuing a paper on […]

January 25, 2012By Colin Mann

Virgin’s Berkett attacks BBC Trust

Virgin Media’s chief executive Neil Berkett has called on the Government to rip up the rules on licensing film and television content and disband the BBC Trust. Berkett warned that content providers will fall behind the pace of change in the way people are watching films and television unless the forthcoming Communications Bill is used […]

January 23, 2012

EU’s Reding: Balance copyright, Internet freedom

EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding has called for governments to strike a balance between policing the Internet to protect copyright and upholding freedom of expression. “The protection of creators must never be used as pretext to intervene in the freedom of the Internet,” Reding told the DLD conference on innovation, digital media, science and culture […]

January 23, 2012By Colin Mann

PIPA and SOPA bills on hold

The sponsors of both the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act anti-piracy measures have halted progress on their respective bills through the US legislature. Lamar Smith, who sponsored SOPA, said that he had “heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding proposed legislation to address the problem of online […]

January 23, 2012By Colin Mann

Megaupload shut down for copyright infringement

The US Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have shut down file sharing site Megupload.com. In one of the largest criminal copyright cases in US history, seven individuals responsible for operating Megaupload.com and their associated companies, Megaupload Limited and Vestor Limited, have been charged in the United States with engaging in a […]

January 20, 2012By Colin Mann