More TV ads allowed under Ofcom plan

Proposals that could see more commercials, broadcast more often, on television were published on Wednesday by Ofcom. The broadcasting regulator was responding to the European Union’s directive “Television Without Frontiers” that relaxed restrictions on advertising minutage – the average number of minutes per hour that advertisements can run on television. (Financial Times)

EU backs Nokia standard for mobile TV

The European Commission moved to simplify the nascent mobile phone TV sector by adopting a standard backed by Finland's Nokia, but mobile operators said Brussels was acting too quickly. DVB-H is the only standard with a global presence although South Korea, Japan, the United States and China are embracing local rivals. Some EU member states, such as Britain, Germany and the Netherlands, had been opposed to setting DVB-H as the single standard in the bloc. But the EU executive said on Monday it was the one most widely used in Europe and is between trials and commercial launch in 16 countries. (Reuters, PR)

HD falters in Europe

The recent closure of two of Germany's HDTV channels has cast a shadow over European hopes for a rapid transition to high definition, according to Strategy Analytics. The report concludes that Europe's television providers should concentrate their resources initially on building pay television rather than advertising-based business models in order to reach the critical mass of HD content and receivers necessary to make HDTV a self-sustaining business (Advanced Television)

Majors Sign Up With Euro Web Community MusicMakesFriends

Universal Music, Sony BMG Music and EMI Music have made their entire digital catalog available to the web platform, which today launched a premium subscription option in addition to its free advertising-supported streaming service. The pan-European, music-driven community enables users to legally listen to radio programs created by other members. Now more than 1.5 million tracks will also be available on demand alongside other features for a monthly fee. (Billboard)

EU Parliament demands action on criminal IP penalties

The European Parliament has asked EU member states to press ahead with a plan to criminalise copyright infringement. The Parliament wants a proposal it agreed last year to be approved by ministers from each member state. The proposed EU directive would create new rules on copyright protection, and would require each EU country to pass laws criminalising intellectual property infringement. It must be approved by the Council of Ministers before it takes effect. (Out-law)

Spain Declared European Kings Of Illegal Downloading

Spanish computer users illegally downloaded more than 1.2 billion tracks in 2007, according to authors' and publishers' society SGAE. The European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA) says that 58% of all Spanish Internet users illegally downloaded music in 2006 against a European average of 37%. In 2003, the Spanish average was just 48.5%. (Billboard)

EU court supports privacy of music downloaders

Europe's top court dealt a blow to the defenders of authors' rights, upholding a Spanish Internet provider's refusal to reveal the identity of customers sharing music downloads. The protection of authors' rights "cannot ... affect the requirements of the protection of personal data," the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice (ECJ) said in its ruling. (AFP, Reuters, Billboard)

European Commission to launch study on unleashing talent and creativity in Europe

Representatives from the EU's Culture Ministries met in Cannes on 27 January to discuss the challenges facing the music industry at an informal meeting held to coincide with the start of this year's MIDEM international trade fair for the music and recording industry. At the event, European Commissioner Ján Figel' announced the launch of a study on the role of culture, and the EU's cultural industries, in promoting and stimulating creativity, innovation and growth in the EU. (PR)

Perspective: If Elvis were a digital entrepreneur today

The European Union has begun to harmonize the copyright laws of its member countries related to creative content online. While the United States will still own the hardware underpinning the Internet, the Europeans, if successful, will determine how we use it. The European Union realizes that compliance with 27 different copyright laws and licensing regimes is a significant barrier to entry for companies and a detriment to its citizens. (News.com)

IFPI Fails to Force ISPs to Become Anti-Piracy Enforcers

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has been lobbying politicians of the European Parliament to force ISP’s to identify, filter, block and remove copyright infringing content from the Internet. Now, according to an early report, it appears that all three anti-piracy measures have been defeated. (Torrent Freak)

UK is largest European music download market, Germany 2nd

TiVo has paired up with Jaman.com, an online distrib of indie and international films, in a content deal that will increase the number of pics available to subscribers of its digital video recording service. The UK is responsible for 54 percent of all European music downloads, followed by Germany with 20 percent, according to a survey in 15 European countries by Nielsen SoundScan cited by the German music industry organisation. Number three is France with 7 percent, followed by Belgium and Italy both with four percent. (Telecom Paper)

Samwer brothers buy stake in Facebook

German Internet entrepreneurs the Samwer brothers have taken a stake in social networking site Facebook, Alexander Samwer told Reuters on Tuesday. Samwer, who declined to reveal the size of the stake, said the brothers would now become Facebook's strategic partners in Europe. Samwer would not disclose the size of the investment, except that it was a "significant" amount, and less than the $240 million Microsoft paid for a 1.6 percent stake in Facebook in October, which valued the site at $15 billion. (Reuters)

Europe to probe state funding of new media

The European Commission will investigate public service broadcasting's use of new media to determine whether state aid to broadcasters is unfair to commercial competitors. The commission has said it will look into a 2001 set of rules on what subsidies countries are allowed to give to public sector broadcasters. It said an update was needed because new media and digital technologies had changed the media landscape so much. "This implies in particular the need for a clearly defined public service mission as well as a limitation of state aid to what is necessary for the fulfilment of this mission, excluding overcompensation and possible cross-subsidies into commercial activities," a commission statement said. (The Register)

EU reaches iTunes deal with Apple

Apple Inc. has agreed to scrap its online pricing policies across Europe for its iTunes music downloads, the European Union said Wednesday. Britain's Consumers' Association filed a complaint with EU regulators in 2004 complaining that British customers of iTunes downloads had to pay more than those in France or other iTunes stores in countries using the euro currency. Apple said it would introduce a new pricing policy for British based iTunes consumers. EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes welcomed the agreement, saying it would "allow consumers to benefit from a truly single market for music downloads" across the 27-nation bloc. (Reuters)