Advanced Television

Regulation

Irdeto meets new China CAS standard

Irdeto, the global expert in securing and delivering content and digital assets, has been awarded the latest Class A certification from the State Administration for Radio Film and Television (SARFT). Irdeto is the first international technology company to receive this certification, which mandates increased levels of specification for providers of conditional access (CA) systems in […]

January 10, 2011

EC: ISPs compelled to combat users’ IP infringement?

A report from the European Commission (EC) has suggested that rates of intellectual property infringement in the EU are “alarming”, and accepts that while an EU law on IP rights has had some effect, the legal measure was not designed to deal with online piracy. According to the EC, current laws are not strong enough […]

January 7, 2011by Colin Mann

Italy: Video sharing sites subject to broadcast TV rules

Video-sharing sites such as YouTube could be subject to the same regulations as traditional broadcast television, according to controversial rulings by the Italian Communications Authority (AGCOM). Two rulings published by the Communications Authority state that some streaming and on-demand video sites would require a government licence to operate and be subject to similar editorial controls […]

January 5, 2011

BT denies ‘two tiers’

BT’s New Year introduction of Content Connect has come under immediate fire from Internet groups who claim it implements a two tier service which is anti- net neutrality. The new service allows Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that use BT’s network to charge content firms for high-speed delivery of video. “This is a sea change in […]

January 4, 2011

Supreme Court OKs Spain TV tax

Spain’s Supreme Court has come down in favour of the tax imposed on telcos to finance national public broadcaster RTVE a year after it was stopped from selling commercial advertising. Telefónica, Vodafone and Ono had petitioned the Supreme Court to stop the  telco tax – 0.9 per cent of turnover – on the basis it […]

January 4, 2011

Voters reject FCC Internet rules

American voters believe free market competition will protect Internet users more than government regulation and fear that regulation will be used to push a political agenda. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 21 per cent of Likely US Voters want the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to regulate the Internet as it […]

December 29, 2010

Comcast-NBC merger on course for January approval

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has revealed that he will vote to approve the proposed merger of Comcast and NBC Universal as long as certain conditions are met. Julius Genachowski December 23 issued a draft order of approval for the merger on the condition that the companies promise to share TV shows not […]

December 24, 2010by Colin Mann

Did I say that out loud?

We all have moments we wish we had kept out thoughts to ourselves rather letting their assumed importance persuade us to share them with the world in general. Over sharing is an affliction common to politicians (and, of course, bloggers and columnists – but then that is rather their point). Vince Cable is paying a […]

December 23, 2010

Spanish anti-piracy law defeated

A Spanish parliamentary panel has rejected a bill that would let courts shut down websites offering peer-to-peer file sharing of copyrighted music and films. The 20-18 vote was a surprising defeat for Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero’s government.  It came after frantic negotiations in which the ruling Socialists failed to win support from opposition […]

December 22, 2010

FCC neutrality rules get mixed reception

As expected the party-line 3 to 2 vote in favour of the FCC’s new Net Neutrality rules got mixed reviews. President Obama congratulated the FCC and said that the government would “remain vigilant and see to it that innovation is allowed to flourish, that consumers are protected from abuse, and that the democratic spirit of […]

December 22, 2010