UK broadcasters issue warning on rights

British broadcasters including ITV, Channel 4 and pay broadcaster Sky have warned the UK government not to relax intellectual property rights as it could lead to a “vicious circle of declining revenues and investment”.


The companies have partnered with UK indie producers’ group Pact to commission a report, Creative UK: The Audiovisual Sector and Economic Success, authored by Communications Chambers’ Robin Foster and Tom Broughton. 


The report suggests that the industry invests £4 billion (€4.6 billion) in local content every year that serves 7,000 companies and 132,000 jobs. It claims that international sales of UK content grew 127% between 2006 and 2009 and now totals £1.3billion per year.

“Certainty about IP rights will allow producers to decide whether or not to take a risk in investing in content,” the report stated. “If the IP regime were to be weakened, the costs could be high, with the risk of a vicious circle of declining revenues, leading to declining investment, leading to further declines in audiences and revenues.”