Sir,
You have just sent to the press a copy of which you sent to me by letter dated 31 July 2014.
You are asking me about various subjects, including the economic difficulties that some French distributors are experiencing, the decline of the video market, the fight against piracy, and the media timeline...
For the past two years, I have tried to give French cinema the means to pursue its influence and development, both in France and internationally. Nevertheless, I am attentive to continuing a wide-ranging action that is being carried out in all fields that concern this major cultural industry, the flagship of our country.
I have reminded many times, and especially on January 8, when René Bonnell’s report was presented, that the dissemination of works is essential: this requires their distribution and their best exhibition in the hall and in the world, because export must also be a major focus of our thinking.
Let me also remind you that at the last Cannes Film Festival, I strongly stressed the importance of strengthening the distribution sector. I entrusted this mission to the CNC, following the conference for the diversity of cinema in which you participated. Avenues are emerging, proposals are being clarified and should lead to conclusions in the autumn for rapid implementation.
More specifically with regard to the chronology of the media, I took a strong position on this subject two weeks ago because the lack of evolution of the mechanism since the 2009 agreement is no longer tenable. It seems to me that your inquiry does not take into account my statements. I have twice expressed in the national press the need to take into account the evolution of uses in the digital age and I have put forward proposals for reform in this regard. It is indeed essential that changes be made now by the professionals themselves, especially in a context of the arrival of actors who will not contribute to the financing of French and European creation, such as Netflix or soon Amazon.
I can only invite you, through your professional organization, to join the consultation that the CNC will lead to my request in September.
It is our collective responsibility to reach a balanced agreement, which takes into account the public’s desire to dispose of works more quickly: this is in particular the meaning of my proposal to advance the TV windows by 2 months, extend the period of exhibition of works in VàD and advance the VàDA window by 12 months. If the professionals wanted to go further, that would be an additional positive step that I would welcome.
Similarly, I think it is essential to continue to encourage the public to legally access works.
In addition to the reform of the media timeline, which can of course contribute to the dynamism of the video-on-demand market, and the pedagogical aspect of the graduated response, which remains relevant and operational, I want to focus on the fight against commercial piracy. For the fight against counterfeiting must allow us to apprehend via funding channels (payment agencies, advertising boards) the actors who make profit at the expense of authors and creators.
I had thus asked Mireille Imbert-Quaretta for operational proposals which she gave me last May, and I also announced that we must make better known to the public, especially young people, with the minister of national education, the value of works, the creative economy and therefore the need to protect the rights of creators and works.
At the same time, I am undertaking interdepartmental work that is essential to the implementation of tools to fight online counterfeiting: the Ministry of Culture cannot act alone in this area. We have worked with the Chancellery.
Finally, it seems to me useful that in parallel with the initiatives of the French video on demand players to federate or develop, be implemented a system for referencing existing online legal offers in France, to better guide the user in his desire to access the works. To this end, the TNC will launch a call for tenders in the fall.
French cinema is one of our greatest pride. It is in the name of our attachment to his creative strength that I fought for the cultural exception and defended within the European bodies an ambitious vision of the place of culture in Europe. I have thus taken a demanding position on the promotion of copyright before the European Commission: we will not let the European authorities question the patiently constructed structure of copyright, which has shown its full relevance in our country. Today, the stakes are high because there are threats to the transfer of copyright jurisdiction to a commissioner responsible for industry and digital technology. I am mobilizing my European colleagues on this issue, which could pose a significant risk. I invite you to join the professionals, such as SACD, who have begun to take initiatives against this threat.
In conclusion, and while waiting for this oral discussion, I repeat that my priority is to make French cinema as creative industries a spearhead of the modernity of the French model of funding culture, the influence and creativity of our country.
I am aware of the major challenges facing the film industry, in all its components, and I am making every effort, methodically and with determination, to find quick solutions. I invite you to meet us in early September, at the Ministry of Culture and Communication, to discuss these topics and share our common ambition and energy in the service of cinema.
Please accept, Sir, the expression of my distinguished consideration.
Aurélie FILIPPETTI