Feasibility Study of a Digital Platform for the delivery of UK ... - BFI

UK FILM COUNCIL
would produce a cost range of between £125,000 and £1m for 500 titles. The best option would therefore be to employ to qualified junior
lawyers full time giving a likely annual cost of £100,000 to £150,000.
Creation of a public rights database
A natural extension of the B2B rights portal could be a public-facing rights database. The idea of this B2C application would be to make it
easier for the general public to find specialised and UK independent films. Within the Internet/PC space this might take the form of a
dedicated search engine or Web portal, while in the TV space it might consist of a special data feed or enhancements for electronic
programme guides (EPGs). The EPG or search engine could carry some kind of UKFC branding, as the database may, highlighting the
UKFC’s presence and support of independent and specialised content outside of the theatrical environment. This would be a relatively
low-cost exercise (even more so as part of a cohesive rights clarification initiative) which could raise awareness and improve ease of
access to independent films.
Indicative costs
Similar in cost and scope to the B2B rights portal and database, the set up costs for developing a public-facing rights database would
total around £90,000 for software and database development. Additional annual software licensing costs would be in the region of
£20,000. This does not include staff costs or office overheads.
Education initiatives
The UK Film Council could undertake an education initiative to raise awareness among rights holders that confusion surrounding ondemand
and digital rights is potentially depriving them of a revenue stream. An education initiative that targeted both rights holders and
distributors/platforms would make it easier for third party operators to source and access specialised rights and encourage
communication within the industry on the topic. One important factor within the education process would be to highlight for rights holders
the technological advancements that have enabled the secure single territorial distribution of content in both open gateway and walled
garden environments, and as such create more confidence in how their content is handled by established and emerging operators. One
possible extension to any education initiative could be a networking event bringing together rights holders with operators for a discussion
of concerns and an exchange of ideas to improve dialogue between buyers and sellers.
Indicative costs
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