[Ecommerce] Independent film and music leaders on Unesco Convention

[Manon Ress]

INDEPENDENT FILM AND MUSIC LEADERS SEEK CHANGES TO UNESCO CONVENTION ON
CULTURAL DIVERSITY TO DEAL WITH INADEQUATE MARKET STRUCTURES



7 February 2005 - Today European independent business leaders from the
film, audiovisual and music sectors asked intergovernmental experts
working on the draft UNESCO Convention on cultural diversity to
introduce key changes to the text to promote independent cultural
industries.



The proposal highlights the role of the independents in guaranteeing
innovation and investment in local creators and talent. Represented by
the two trade associations IMPALA (Independent Music Companies
Association) and EFCA (European Film Companies Alliance), the request of
the European independent cultural industries is that the Convention
sustains independent cultural operators and creators. This is essential
to ensure that the independents do not fall victim to globalisation and
business concentration and can continue to play their key role in local
cultural and economic empowerment.



The independents point out to the experts that existing market
structures simply do not ensure a level playing field, thereby
marginalising the independents, endangering the plurality of cultural
operators, reducing investment in new and diverse talent and undermining
local cultures and creators.



Intergovernmental experts are currently meeting at UNESCO in Paris to
work on the draft text for the Convention on the Protection of Cultural
Contents and Artistic Expressions. The current meetings continue until
14th February 2005. The Convention represents an unprecedented attempt
to create an international legal instrument to safeguard and promote
cultural diversity.



The independents emphasise the fact that they are the innovators and the
guarantors of diversity yet they face increasingly complex barriers to
trade and severe market access problems.  Being 99.9% medium, small and
micro operators operating mainly on national scale, they are dwarfed by
their major competitors.



The problems the independents face include market concentration,
collective dominance, lack of fair competition, restricted access to
distribution channels (offline and online) and spiralling investment and
marketing costs.  In the film market 7 majors account for 80% of the
global market. The music market is dominated by 4 majors holding 80%
globally, with the Pepsi/Coke type scenario of two majors controlling
70% of new releases and best sellers. This seemingly unstoppable
globalisation undermines creativity and competitivity and has forced
independent music companies in Europe to seek judicial redress against
the EU's approval of the merger of Sony/BMG.



The independents see the UNESCO Convention as key to ensuring that
market structures facilitate a level playing field to the benefit of all
the stakeholders that are engaged in the creation, dissemination and
distribution of cultural goods and services.









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For further information on IMPALA please see www.impalasite.org or
contact Helen Smith on T: + 32 2 289 26 00 or hmsith@kernnet.com

For further information on EFCA, please see www.efcasite.org or contact
Gabrielle Guallar on T: + 32 2 289 26 00, or gguallar@kernnet.com


--
Manon Anne Ress
manon.ress@cptech.org,
www.cptech.org

Consumer Project on Technology in Washington, DC PO Box 19367,
Washington, DC 20036, USA Tel.:  +1.202.387.8030, fax: +1.202.234.5176

Consumer Project on Technology in Geneva, 1 Route des  Morillons, CP
2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland. Tel: +41 22 791 6727

Consumer Project on Technology in London, 24 Highbury Crescent, London,
N5 1RX, UK. Tel:+44(0)207 226 6663 ex 252. Mob:+44(0)790 386 4642. Fax:
+44(0)207 354 0607