As the global paparazzi descend en masse at the 61^st annual Cannes Film Festival later this month, further down the Croisette a group of some of the world’s top legal experts in the film industry will gather, to provide up-to-date advice and information on the rapidly-evolving field of rights clearance.

Rights clearance has become not only big business, it has also become increasingly complex and expensive to feature that bottle of best-selling mineral water in the next high-tech thriller. The meteoric rise of the Internet and the entry of video on demand have also further complicated the process. What is more, the task of getting a film “cleared” has become a larger undertaking. When the stakes could be that a film may never see the light of the big or little screen because rights have not been cleared for a candy bar or soft drink featured, it has become important that all stakeholders  – insurers, programmers, distributors, filmmakers and coproducers - make rights clearance a high priority.

Rights clearance in 2008: towards clearer rights?  Is the title of the 22^nd annual conference on international audiovisual law taking place 16 May at the Palais des Festivals during the Cannes Film Festival. Organized by ICC Institute of World Business Law during the Cannes Film Festival, the conference will delve into the newest wrinkles in clearing a film, from fiction to product placement, movie soundtracks to remakes, and errors and omissions insurance.

Among the distinguished speakers will be Ted Shapiro, Deputy Managing Director, Vice President and General Counsel Europe, Motion Picture Association European Office; Jerome Paillard, Executive Director at Marche du Film France; Jean-Eric de Cockborne, Head of Unit of Audiovisual and Media Policies, European Commission; and Caroline Faget, Legal Business Affairs Manager at EMI Music Publishing France, as well as very experienced lawyers and representative companies.

The morning session will zoom in on rights clearance in emerging markets, examining a case study on the new regulation in Russia, and compare US and EU laws on copyright clearance for video on demand. After lunch, discussion will turn to the new EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive adopted last year, and a checklist for soundtrack rights that covers new media devices, from portable media players to mobile phones.

“This conference is a must for anyone involved in the film industry who needs to stay current on the very latest legal, business and technical knowledge on rights clearance,” said Laetitia de Montalivet, Director of ICC Institute of World Business Law. The conference also receives support from the European Audiovisual Observatory and the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers.

“It goes without saying that ICC’s annual conference in Cannes is always featured in my annual calendar,” said Ted Shapiro,  Deputy Managing Director,  Vice President and General Counsel Europe, Motion Picture Association European Office and Chairman of the Conference. “It’s a must-see for corporate counsel and lawyers who specialize in entertainment law as well as film producers, directors, distributors and business executives. I rate it five stars.”

The conference will be held under the direction of the ICC Institute of World Business Law. Conference participants will also benefit from free access to the Marché du Film on 15 and 16 May and can register for the rest of the Festival at a discounted rate.

For a copy of the conference programme, please  click here