2. Industry codes of practice
Different companies in the industry have different rules, or codes of practice. Most
companies have many strict health and safety regulations. Many Companies also
follow Offcom, we can see this in BBC’s Codes of practice, they use Offcom as
guidelines for public visibility.
ITV has rules against Conflict of Interest (or using the company to further your or
close friends personal needs)
Most companies will have policies encouraging visibility and encouraging
complaints and whistleblowing. Such as in ITV’s codes of practice.
3. the British Board of Film Classification
The BBoFC is a non governmental organization, responsible for the
classification and the censorship of films. These films release with an age
certificate, after said Age certificate being approved by the BBoFC. While Local
authorities technically have final say on what age groups can see a film in the
cinema, they often just follow the Boards recommendation unless the area
protests. Recently, spiderman homecoming was rated 12A, we see this was due
too (in the words of the BBFC) moderate fantasy violence, threat, sex references
and obscured strong language.
The BBFC also does ratings for music videos, the only rated 18 music video is
Dizzee Rascal’s :Couple of Stacks, that features the rapper murdering people in
detail.
4. Ofcom
Ofcom, office of communication, regulates all English television shows and radio
programs to make sure they follow the correct conduct practice this includes not
showing programs that have content unsuitable for children shown between the
hours of 9:00 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., this is known as the watershed. A film with a full
on sex scene would not be played just as it turns 9:00 but it would come in around
half past. For example family guy is put on at 10:00 because of its sexual
innuendos and adult humor.
If a family film such as mrs doubtfire has some snippets of robin williams
swearing but it can be put on during the watershed with those snippets cut out, so
children can watch it before the watershed.
5. Ofcom part 2
Ofcom keep in constant contact with the public and they listen to them. For
example if they receive enough complaints about a program then they would most
likely warn them to take it off the air before they do. Back in june big brother
Marco Pierre White Jr member had 200 complaints through ofcom because of his
controversial behaviour , and was subsequently was removed from the show to
avoid any future complaints.
In April 2017 the BBC Trust was taken over by ofcom to regulate all the BBC
programs. Ofcom created a new operating framework The BBC royal charter
required
6. Copyright, Designs and patents act (1998)
The current copyright act in the uk was brought in, in 1988 and states that the
creator/s of literary, dramatic, musical, artistic works, sound recordings,
broadcasts, films and typographical arrangement of published editions have the
rights to their works automatically. The author of the work has the right to claim
their work by publishing it under their name/s. If something is protected by
copyright then a person cannot claim it as their own work.
The 1988 Act and amendment establishes that copyright in most works lasts until
70 years after the death of the creator if known, otherwise 70 years after the work
was created or published (50 years for computer-generated works).
7. Copyright Infringement Examples
In 2011 Victor Whitmill filed a lawsuit against the Hangover part 2 and warner
Brothers because of a copyright infringement. In the film Stu (Ed Helms) wakes up
after a night of in a bangkok hotel to find a replica of Mike Tyson's tribal tattoo on
his face. Whitmill stated that the tattoo was specifically designed for Mike Tyson
and they used it without his permission, he also felt it was wrongly promoting his
work. In the end they came to an agreement and Warner Brothers paid an
undisclosed amount to Victor Whitmill.
8. Defamation
Defamation is the act of committing slander/libel, slander being oral defamation,
Libel being written or recorded. Both are the act of telling lies or exaggerations
about a company or person that will affect their personal life or income.
The defamation act of 2013, was an act which reformed English defamation law
on issues pertaining to the protection of reputation compared to free speech.
The law says that the claimant must provide proof of existing harm before suing
for defamation in a trial by jury. Obviously the claim made must be a lie, or gross
exaggeration, opinions often also do not count as defamation due to the nature of
free speech
9. Defamation 2
Movies and Television both need to keep to the defamation act of 2013, in that
they cannot show negative depictions of public figures in a grossly negative way.
Mostly though parody and satire is protected through fair use laws, so it is quite
hard to prosecute anything but news sources. It has been attempted though, such
as in in June of 2017, where John oliver of “last week tonight” got in legal trouble
for referring to the CEO of Murray Energy Corporation as a “geriatric Dr. Evil” for
his use of coal and lack of health and safety, causing him to sue for defamation
due to the “distress and physical damage” the insult caused.