PLANNED changes to European copyright laws could devastate the Irish film industry, movie producers have warned.

Territorial licensing could be banned under the EU’s proposed Digital Single Market (DSM), which would turn the 28 separate film markets within Europe into a “single digital union”.

“For a small country like Ireland it would be a disaster,” said Andrew Lowe of Element Pictures, producer of The Guard, The Wind That Shakes the Barley and Glassland.

Barbara Galavan, chief executive of Screen Producers Ireland, which represents the country’s film, TV and animation production companies, claimed the move “would have a negative effect on the ability of producers to fund European- made works. It will result in a lot less films being made”.

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/ireland/article1537477.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2015_03_28