In proposed changes to its TV Without Frontiers Directive,
Europe had proposed that national Governments regulate all internet
video content.* After representations from the UK, Europe's culture
ministers have agreed to amend that to cover TV-like services.
The Council of Ministers has published its statement of 'general
approach' to a proposed revision of the TVWF Directive, which now
recommends to the EU Assembly that governments take over regulation
of content broadcast online in TV-like services.
UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom and Culture Secretary Tessa
Jowell argued against the proposals to regulate all video content
because it would stifle creativity and investment in the
sector.
Creative industries minister Shaun Woodward also lobbied for the
changes to the proposal. "The outcome is testament to the
substantial progress we have made in persuading our European
partners to take our arguments on board," said Woodward. "The
extension has been limited to on-demand television-like services,
and we have enshrined further liberalisation of advertising
rules."
The proposals mirror some from the World Intellectual Property
Organisation, which is carrying out an internal debate on the
regulation of the internet. Though the web is covered by existing
laws governing offensive or libellous material or incitement to
commit hate crimes, both WIPO and the TVWF Directive are seeking to
put the internet under regulatory control.
Ofcom was believed to be keen not to have the regulation
extended beyond TV-like video services because it would then be in
the position of having to monitor, assess and punish the video
postings of potentially millions of individuals.
The explosive growth of user-generated content on sites such as
YouTube would make this not only a huge task but one very different
to that which it carries out with existing, professional
broadcasters.
* Editor's note: A reader from Latvia rightly
noted that the Directive's intention was to cover only economic
activity, not all internet video content. So
purely private websites would be excluded.
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