Evokinga move towards "the responsible spreading of film," French culture minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres announced Tuesday the signing of a new accordbetween French film and television groups and Internet providers.

Centeredaround video-on-demand (VOD), the signatories agreedto a 33 week window following a theatrical release before films becomeavailable. In the case of subscription-based VOD services, the filmsmust be at the 36 week post-theatrical mark.

Theaccord was signed by Canal Plus, France Televisions, the Association for theBattle against Piracy (ALPA), producer-distributor lobbies the BLIC and theBLOC, the writers' guild (SACD), artists' lobby group ARP, France Telecom andthe Association of Internet Providers (AFA).

Commendingthe accord, Donnedieu de Vabresnoted, "This legal offer of works, and particularly cinematic works, is, forthe consumer and the internet user, a true alternative to piracy."

VOD operators also agreed to invest inlocal filmmaking, to the great satisfaction of the industry. Operators withrevenues between $1.7m (1.5m Euros) and $3.5 (3m Euros) will invest 5% into theacquisition of European films of which 3.5% is earmarked for French films.Should revenues reach $5.9m (5m Euros), the scale increases incrementally with aplateau of 10% going to European films and 7% of that for French films.