Press Releases
16th December 2008
Downloads undermine UK television and film
Film and TV producers call for action to stop illegal online file-sharing
Sir, We are a group of UK film and TV producers, directors and writers who have made some of the UK’s most innovative and distinctive moving pictures and television programming. Our output entertains millions of people, employs tens of thousands in the UK’s creative sector, attracts foreign direct investment, wins awards and creates billions in revenue.
We are very concerned that the successes of the creative industries in the UK are being undermined by the illegal online file-sharing of film and TV content. At a time when so many jobs are being lost in the wider economy, it is especially important that this issue be taken seriously by the Government and that it devotes the resources necessary to enforce the law.
9th December 2008
Record first day Blu-Ray sales of Dark Knight
The release of the Dark Knight (Warner Home Video), Hellboy II (Universal Pictures) and Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium (Icon) on Blu-ray yesterday (8th December 2008) gave Christmas shoppers the opportunity to indulge in high definition heaven.
After the huge retail success of Mamma Mia (Universal Pictures) last week, figures released today from the BVA, according to Official Charts Company data, indicate that the Dark Knight sold a staggering 513,000 units in one day with 21% on Blu-ray disc.
2nd December 2008
Anti-piracy Initiative to Be Announced by the UK Film Industry
London: The UK film industry is piloting an innovative anti-piracy campaign that aims to make London a fake free zone by the Olympics in 2012. The campaign is formally announced on December 3rd and is being led by the MPA and UK Film Council with support from; UK Intellectual Property Office, FACT, London Councils, London Trading Standards Association and the Metropolitan Police. It will be the largest ever collaboration on anti-piracy in the UK.
26th November 2008
Bond Executive Producer Warns of Threat to British Film Industry
A leading figure in the film industry yesterday warned that the British film industry is at risk of coming tumbling down “like a house of cards” if the sale of ‘knock-off’ DVDs and illegal downloading of film continues growing at current levels.
14th November 2008
Large Pirate DVD Factory Found in Manchester
Police officers from Greater Manchester Police working together with FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) and Stockport Trading Standards have discovered a large pirate DVD factory in Stockport, Manchester.
11th November 2008New Chairman and Council Representatives for the BVA
At the recent BVA Council meeting members elected Anthony Peet, VP/General Manager of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, as the new BVA Chairman, with immediate effect.
30th October 2008Halloween Just Got Scarier
Prepare to be terrified this Halloween as a bumper crop of the scariest horror movies ever made are set to hit our screens – but this time in Hi-Def. Just when you thought it was safe to come out from behind the sofa The Omen (20th Century Fox Home Ent), Poltergeist (Warner Home Video) and the Scream Trilogy (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment) are set to petrify a new generation in more nerve tingling detail than ever.
29th October 2008Islington Police raid DVD house
Islington Police, supported by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), executed a search warrant at a terraced house on the border of Islington and Haringey on Friday 17th October 2008.
28th October 2008BVA Announces 28th Annual General Meeting and Reception
The BVA announces that its 28th Annual General Meeting and Reception will take place next week on Tuesday 4th November at the Movieum in County Hall with the kind support of Macrovision.
27th October 2008LOVEFiLM Links with Industry Trust for IP Awareness Ltd
LOVEFiLM.com, Europe’s largest online DVD & games rental service, has reaffirmed its stance against DVD and digital copyright theft by becoming a member of the Industry Trust for IP Awareness Ltd.
16th October 2008Film and Video Industries Defy the Credit Crunch to Post Record Performances
New figures reveal that the film and home entertainment industry is experiencing record sales as the British public opt for a cosy night in with a video or a trip to the cinema to beat the economic blues.
8th October 2008Dancing, Weddings and Love - The Football Season is in Full Swing
With the football season now in full swing and no end in sight, it is useful to know that there are other home entertainment options out there for those whose interests may lie elsewhere! The BVA, using data from the Official Charts company dating back from 1994, has compiled the all time Top 10 Chick Flick chart.
8th August 2008Sun, Sand and Skinflints: Travel industry worst for Anti-Social Office Behaviour (ASOB)
From stealing company toilet paper to claiming credit for others’ hard work, the travel and tourism industry ranks worst for Anti-Social Office Behaviour (ASOB), according to a poll of nearly 4,000 GB workers.
17th July 2008Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC to join Industry Trust for IP Awareness Ltd
Grocer of the Year, Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC, has joined forces with the entertainment industry to help tackle copyright theft by becoming a member of the Industry Trust for IP Awareness Ltd.
14th July 2008Arts Alliance Media to join Industry Trust for IP Awareness Ltd
Europe's leading provider of digital film distribution services, Arts Alliance Media (AAM), has joined forces with the entertainment industry to help tackle copyright theft by becoming a member of the Industry Trust for IP Awareness Ltd.
2nd July 2008New Knock-off Nigel campaign targets illegal downloads
The Industry Trust for IP Awareness will launch the second phase of its Knock-off Nigel advertising campaign next week. The 2008 anti-copyright theft message will move from physical copies to illegal downloading.
2nd May 2008Industry shows united front against film theft
Representatives from the film and television industry spoke of their “unprecedented co-ordination” in tackling copyright theft at a seminar hosted by the Anti Film Theft Task Force last week.
14th April 2008eBay helps users say “No” to Knock-Off Nigels
eBay will join forces with the Industry Trust for IP Awareness this week to promote the importance of buying legitimate DVDs. The UK’s largest online marketplace® is launching an awareness campaign on its site to educate its 14 million active users about how to avoid knock-off copies.
12th February 2008Copyright theft campaign exceeding expectations
Public attitudes to copyright theft are changing for the better, according to an independent survey by NOP on behalf of the Industry Trust for IP Awareness. The study, designed to measure the success of the Trust's new behavioural change campaign which launched in May last year with the “Knock-Off Nigel” advertising initiative, shows the industry's three-pronged attack on copyright theft is exceeding expectations.
12th February 2008Knock-out for Knock-off Nigel
Last night the entertainment industry announced the results of its first consumer tracking survey since it launched its new approach to tackling copyright theft in May 2007. The findings show a substantial shift in attitudes over just seven months against a similar survey at the start of the campaign, with three times as many people regarding copyright theft as nothing to be proud of.
30th November 2007Content is King but Copyright must reign in digital age
Lord Triesman, Minister for IP and Quality, spoke of “the growing acceptance that intellectual property is vital to the development of the UK as a knowledge economy” in a keynote speech at the Industry Trust for IP Awareness’ Annual General Meeting this week.
The minister from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills praised the Industry Trust’s progress in the face of a “momentous” challenge, in helping protect IP in the digital age. He said: “I congratulate you and others like you on work that has allowed the industry to join together to work on campaigns such as ‘Knock-off Nigel’, the Anti-Film Theft initiative, and ‘piracy is a crime’”.
Fact partners with Crimestoppers to make it easier to report film piracy
The Federation Against Copyright Theft (‘FACT’) and the charity Crimestoppers are pleased to announce a partnership that makes Crimestoppers the anonymous primary reporting resource for film piracy in the UK. This allows members of the public to report easily and anonymously 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
25th September 2007Live web TV show to promote pro-copyright campaign
The Industry Trust for IP Awareness will take its pro-copyright campaign to the heart of its internet audiences this week with a live web TV show highlighting the value of the creative process. The interactive web chat will be aired at 11:30am on Thursday 4th October and will feature Paul Archer, acting director-general of the Industry Trust, along with two behind-the-scenes specialists ? acclaimed stunt performer, Steve Truglia and television producer, Claire Travers-Smith.
6th September 2007Falls, fire and fights: Stunt star gets tough on copyright theft at Glasgow’s BBC Film Festival
James Bond’s hidden hero, stunt co-ordinator and performer, Steve Truglia, will be at the BBC Film Festival in Glasgow this weekend to promote the unsung talents of “Backstage Stars”, as part of a new initiative by the entertainment industry to show the damaging effects of copyright theft.
24th July 2007Disney/Pixar set to unveil a new weapon in the war on copyright theft
- Ratatouille’s Remy the Rat
The Walt Disney Studios and Pixar Animation have joined forces with the Industry Trust for IP Awareness to launch a new assault in the entertainment industry’s crackdown on copyright theft. Remy, the star of Disney/Pixar’s Ratatouille, is soon to make an early summer debut at cinemas to bring film fans a message straight from the heart.
July 2007DVD CONtrepreneurs cost retailers millions
A new breed of novice crooks are cashing in on the trend for entrepreneurship by dealing dodgy DVDs to their friends and neighbours, according to new research by the Industry Trust for IP Awareness.
17th April 2007Industry Trust to tackle film and TV copyright theft with new integrated marketing campaign
The Industry Trust for IP Awareness is preparing to launch a major integrated marketing campaign to tackle film and DVD copyright theft. The 13 month campaign, which includes PR, advertising and sophisticated online tools, will seek to reduce the impact of copyright theft which currently costs the audiovisual industry in excess of an estimated £700m per year.