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Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Declassified

1:06 PM / Cinema / 4 Comments

Film censors around the UK are waking up to disturbing news today. Apparently, due to an administrative oversight, the 1984 Video Recordings Act, which requires all videos (I'm including DVDs and Blu-ray Discs under that umbrella) sold in the UK to be pre-vetted by the British Board of Film Censors, is no longer valid. Actually, no, I think I should rephrase that:

It was never valid in the first place.

I'll let our good friends at the Melon Farmers take up the tale:

The discovery of a Whitehall blunder means that the 1984 law regulating the video industry was never enacted.

The disclosure that for 25 years the Video Recordings Act governing the classification and sale of videos, video games and now DVDs was never brought into force is a big embarrassment to both Conservative and Labour governments.

It also leaves the industry in disarray with the classification system no longer officially in operation.

Police and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs are to be told to stop bringing any prosecutions until the Government brings in emergency legislation to re-enact the 1984 Video Recordings Act. Until then people will be able to sell videos, including violent and pornographic ones, to people without fear of prosecution.

The video industry was stunned by the Government's admission that the Act was not properly enacted 25 years ago. Officials in the Home Office had failed to notify the European Commission of the existence of the Act as they were required to do so under an EU directive.

The mistake was not spotted on two subsequent occasions, in 1993 and 1994. It was finally discovered during plans to update the law and introduce a new video-game classification system.

Barbara Follett, Minister for Culture and Tourism, said last night: Unfortunately, the discovery of this omission means that, a quarter of a century later, the Video Recordings Act is no longer enforceable against individuals in United Kingdom courts. In a letter to representatives of the video industry, Follett said: As the then British Government did not notify the European Commission of the VRA's classification and labelling requirements, they cannot now be enforced against individuals in UK courts.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said that it had received legal advice that people who had previously been prosecuted and convicted would be unable to overturn their convictions or seek compensation.

The British Video Association said that it is urging members to continue submitting work to the British Board of Film Classification and to continue labelling them under the system.

(Emphasis mine.)

Ahahahahahahaha!

Sorry. Once more.

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

This is just too funny for words. Now it's no longer a case of "You have to submit your work to us for an exorbitant fee" but more one of "Please, please, pleeeeeease submit your work to us for an exorbitant fee." Perhaps the BBFC will start offering special offers? "Submit your film and get a free Pez dispenser with every five seconds of cuts!"

I wonder how long it will take to enact this "emergency legislation", particularly given that there are more important things going on in the world at the moment, such as - oh, you know - the War on Terror™ and the recession. Actually, if the government has any sense, it'll see this as a wonderful opportunity to help get the economy back on its feet by leading to a massive boom in video sales. I mean, think about it: right now, you can stick all the filth you want on a DVD and sell it without fear of prosecution. Fun times for all!

4 Comments

 
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