Digitalization
heightens piracy risk in the film industry
French
version
Paris, 7
March 2000 - Digital
transmission and diffusion are transforming the economics of the film industry
- but with increased efficiency comes heightened risk of piracy. Access to films
over the Internet is just one of the high-risk areas which will pose legal questions
arising from easy passage of films across national borders.
An international group
of business leaders, legal practitioners, producers, directors and other representatives
of the film industry will address this topic of vital interest to the industry's
bottom line at this year's Conference on International Audiovisual Law during
the Cannes International Film Festival on 11-12 May.
A lack of control over
rights to films will threaten both the creation of intellectual property and
the economics of the industry. Participants will examine how filmmakers can
safeguard their work by timely legal provisions in the era of digitalization.
The event will be introduced
by Jean Pierre Hoss, Director General, Centre National de la cinmatographie,
France, and Jerome Paillard, Directeur Delegue, Marche International du Film,
France.
Speakers include Philippe
Guillanton, Managing Director of Yahoo! France, and legal experts such as Mathias
Schwarz (Partner, Scwarz Kurtze Schniewind Kelwing Wicke) and Laurent Cohen-Tanugi
(Partner, Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen and Hamilton). Jorg Reinbothe from the European
Commission and Alessandra Silvestro, Vice-President of Legal Affairs for Time
Warner Europe will also be speaking. Representatives from the film industry
include Chris Marcich, Senior Vice-President and Managing Director of the Motion
Picture Association.
The Conference on International
Audiovisual Law is held every year at the Cannes Palais des Festivals, at the
same time as the festival. It is hosted by the ICC's Institute of World Business
Law together with the International Bar Association, SBL Intellectual Property
and the Entertainment Law Committee.
The event is held in association
with the Cannes Market and under the auspices of the Centre National de la Cinmatographie.
Those interested in participating
are advised to register quickly to ensure travel and accommodation while places
are still available.
Journalists registering
for the conference will be given a pass (for the 11 and 12 May) to the Marché
du film and the Palais des Festivals.
Journalists interested
in attending the conference should contact ICC communications for more information
at: Tel: 33 1 49 53 28 22, Fax:
33 1 49 53 29 24, E-mail: Click here to send a mail.
Full
conference details
Institute
of World Business Law