SAA - Society of Audiovisual Authors

FERA, FSE and SAA welcome the publication of the Green Paper on Preparing for a fully converged audiovisual world: Growth, Creation and Values and the consultation process it opened. Digital technology and the internet continue to rapidly change the way in which audiovisual works are produced, marketed and distributed to the audience, under the pressure of consumers increasingly expecting to be able to watch anything, anywhere, anytime, and on any device.

We would, however, also like to take this opportunity to express our regret that the European Commission has not followed up on its Green Paper on the Online Distribution of Audiovisual Works and that this current consultation fails to address any authors’ rights or copyright issues. While this consultation is welcome, there is a need, alongside the current Licences for Europe stakeholder dialogue, for the Commission to continue its dedicated work on audiovisual issues. The issue of the remuneration of audiovisual authors, which was clearly raised in the aforementioned Green Paper on the Online Distribution of Audiovisual Works, must not be allowed to slip off the European Commission’s list of action areas and we hope to be able to look forward to future announcements in this area.

One notable omission in the questions of the Green Paper on Preparing for a fully converged audiovisual world: Growth, Creation and Values is the value of defending Europe’s cultural diversity, which is only briefly mentioned at a couple of points in the document.

The audiovisual sector is one of most prominent examples of Europe’s cultural diversity, and proof of how cultural diversity and business can go hand in hand with the help of sophisticated cultural policies. For this to continue to be the case as the European single digital market develops, there needs to be an adapted legal framework that will help preserve and develop the visibility of high quality European works and support the promotion of EU production and distribution. This support must come through mechanisms that help guarantee financing of works and respect the works and the authors’ rights therein. Active promotion is necessary in a converged world of near unlimited choice to ensure the real visibility and accessibility of European works.

While not mentioned in the Green Paper, converged fiscal policy should also be considered through harmonised reduced VAT rates on all cultural products irrespective of their access method (e.g. cinema tickets vs. Blu Rays vs. downloads).

The independence of Europe’s media needs to be preserved and a future for European players guaranteed. This will guarantee media pluralism but it is also important for authors who do not want to cater for global players only.

SAA, FERA and FSE fully believe that converged media represents an opportunity for European screenwriters and directors as beyond the technical issues it raises, it reinforces the structural trend that professional content is king. Traditional media and new services, whether hardware driven or Over-The-Top (OTT) services, rely on professional content to develop any long term sustainable activity. The creativity and experience of European screenwriters and directors to tell stories in moving images is recognised worldwide. New services and converged media can help them reach new audiences and redefine their remuneration flows thanks to the increased accuracy of exploitation data. However, for remuneration to flow, Europe’s authors must be able to work and that means ensuring the continued development of European production and distribution in a converged world if we want to avoid a brain drain of European talent.

Download the full contribution below.