Review has gone “incredibly well” says minister at media conference, solution to piracy “lies in the hands of ISPs and content creators working together”

Speaking at the EMAP Networks Media Summit 2011, Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, DCMS, said his department hopes to publish the results of the film policy review in January 2012.

“The film policy review has gone incredibly well. I think Chris Smith has done a fantastic job. The review is covering a lot of ground in a very good way. We’re hoping to publish the report in January. It will indicate relatively quickly the things we need to move on,” said Vaizey.

The review panel, which is drawing up recommendations for improvements in UK film development, production, distribution, exhibition and inward investment, is chaired by Chris Smith, the 1997-2001 Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The eight-strong panel consists of Will Clarke, Tessa Ross, Iain Smith, Libby Savill, Julian Fellowes, Matthew Justice, Tim Richards and Michael Lynton.

Asked whether the findings would be wrapped into the government’s green paper for the Communications Act (expected between February and November of next year) or explored separately, Vaizey commented: “Where appropriate we will wrap up some of these findings in the green paper. Those people involved the film business will want to see those two documents as complementary but I haven’t seen a draft of the policy review yet so I’m flying to a certain extent, but I do have a rough idea of the direction it is going.”

In a response to a question about the legal precedent set by the high court’s recent ruling for BT to close illegal filesharing site Newzbin2, Vaizey reiterated the government’s preference for cross-collaboration between ISPs, content providers and search engines to arrive at swift anti-piracy action.

“We want to see whether there is a common ground the sides can arrive at to get to court more quickly if there has been an infringement. The solution lies in the hands of ISPs and content creators working together but it also lies in the hands of content creators developing new business models.”

Vaizey also reiterated the government’s ambition to rollout superfast broadband in Britain by 2015, and the plan to set aside £500m to get faster broadband into rural areas.

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