Hit international TV formats such as Big Brother and Who Wants to be a Millionaire? are being protected by the laws of copyright, unfair competition, passing off and breach of confidence, according to a report launched at MIPCOM by FRAPA — the Format Recognition and Protection Association. The FRAPA Report 2011: Protecting Format Rights, […]
The UK Digital TV Group (DTG) has approved HbbTV-based connected TV specifications in the latest version of the D-Book, D-Book 7. D-Book 7 – published for consultation earlier in the year – defines the critical interoperable coexistence of broadcast and broadband services and devices and has been formally approved by DTG Council and DTG Technical […]
US telco Verizon Communications is suing to overturn regulations governing the flow of Internet traffic. The lawsuit filed in Washington’s US Court of Appeals contends the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) overstepped its authority in setting its so-called ‘net neutrality’ rules in 2010. The regulations are scheduled to go into effect November 20. They prohibit Internet […]
A Russian governmental commission has approved the use of the DVB-T2 standard for the development of digital terrestrial TV in Russia, as proposed by the Ministry of Communications. The digital terrestrial TV network is currently being tested out in the Tver region. New regional networks will be deployed under the DVB-T2 standard and existing DVB-T […]
Mobile firm 3 has warned that it may begin running out of capacity in UK urban areas by the end of next year if spectrum auctions do not go ahead. Networks increasingly face congestion as the demand for data soars. Auctions to free up space for next generation mobile services are earmarked for mid-2012 although […]
UK media regulator Ofcom has fined Noor TV £75,000 for “extremely serious” breaches of its rules, and that the channel provided no detailed evidence of any compliance procedures. Noor TV beams its channel to Muslim viewers living in Europe and is licensed by Ofcom. The breach was in regard to a programme, “Saturday Night Special” […]
Although governments are keen to reap the benefits of high-speed Internet access, they need to reform regulations to help those building networks to provide it, according to a senior Google executive. Delivering a keynote address at the Broadband World Forum in Paris, Kevin Lo, Google’s general manager of access, told delegates: “Regulation can get in […]
An Italian court has ruled in favour of the BBC Worldwide and RAI’s joint action against Mediaset/Endemol TV dance show ‘Baila!’, which the court said had too many similarities with BBC format ‘Strictly Come Dancing’/’Dancing with the Stars’. Mediaset went ahead with their normal transmission after making some alterations to their format, while at the […]
YouView has published its draft User Interface and Search Policy for consultation with industry, setting out how content will be presented to viewers in a way that makes it easy for them to discover. The policy also details YouView’s approach to allocating EPG positions to video on demand content providers in the YouView User Interface. […]
Thirty-nine people are under investigation for computer fraud and violations of copyright law, following an operation to combat piracy against Italian pay-TV operators Mediaset Premium and Sky Italia, as well as conditional access provider Nagravision, performed by the Communications Police. The suspects, 28 of them residents in the Lazio region, 7 in Sicily, 3 in […]