21/03/2012 - President of Film Distributors’ Association speaks to UK film industry

Lord David Puttnam (pictured), President of Film Distributors’ Association (FDA) has called upon search engines to delete links to sites that host pirated content. He was giving a keynote speech to the British film industry on the occasion of the publication of the FDA yearbook.

“The key to the digital future - or rather, the present - lies in forging new models, creating and sustaining new relationships with audiences. Here in Britain, we want our creative industries to remain at the forefront of the digital economy. A vital step for the technology sector is to signpost legitimate search options far more clearly and to delete links to sites that promote illegally sourced content,” Puttnam said.

In addition, Puttnam asked for a public information campaign that highlights the manner in which copyright helps creative industries grow, as the UK is a country where more than 10% of national exports come from the sector.

The FDA chief was also sceptical about proposals to the European Commission where licensing rights deals would treat the European Union as a single market rather than several individual ones. “The UK still needs to do everything it can to ensure that we have a state aid regime that continues to support British film culture and the audiences for British film, just as it has done over the last few years,” he said.

Puttnam also wants the BFI to step up funding for film distribution, saying, “A clear strategy should be at the heart of the BFI's forthcoming five-year plan for UK film.”