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Cinematograph film meaning

What does Cinematograph film mean?
In practice, cinematograph film describes a recording of moving images, a term commonly encountered in older statutes, contracts and case law to denote what current legislation calls a “film”. In the UK, the copyright Act 1956 defined a cinematograph film as a sequence of visual images capable of being shown as a moving picture, or of being recorded on other material, regardless of the method of recording. Under that Act, films were a distinct category and could not be protected as dramatic works or as a series of photographs (s.48). The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (CDPA 1988) replaced the term with “film” (now defined in the CDPA) and preserves protection for works that qualified under the 1956 Act. In Ireland, the Copyright Act 1963 used “cinematograph film”; the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 now uses “film”. The term remains significant for copyright subsistence, duration and chain-of-title issues concerning pre‑CDPA (UK) and pre‑2000 (Ireland) material, and when construing historic assignments and licences. Across England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, current practice is to apply the modern statutory definition of “film”, treating “cinematograph film” as a historic label for the same category of copyright work.
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View the related Practice Notes about Cinematograph film

PRACTICE NOTES
UK Film and Television Law Glossary: Terms C–D—copyright, collecting societies, broadcasting, distribution

Film and TV glossary A–B Film and TV glossary E–H Film and TV glossary I–L Film and TV glossary M–P Film and TV glossary R–S Film and TV glossary T–W CAP Code for non-broadcast media The UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (the CAP Code) serves as the principal framework governing non-broadcast adverts, promotional sales activity and direct marketing messages. It is drafted by the Committee on Advertising Practice (CAP), a self-regulatory body whose membership comprises organisations representing advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing and media industries. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) polices the CAP Code and may require the withdrawal or amendment of any advertisement that contravenes these standards. Refer to Practice Note: Advertising law and regulation. Channel 4 Channel 4 operates as a ‘publisher-broadcaster’: it produces no programmes internally, commissioning content from production companies across the UK. Cinematograph film Under the Copyright Act 1956 (CA 1956), films gained protection as...

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PRACTICE NOTES
United Kingdom copyright in films and television programmes: subsistence, authorship, term and revival across CA 1911, 1956 and CDPA 1988; qualification and related rights (soundtracks, broadcast right and moral rights)

For copyright purposes, the term ‘film’ denotes a recording, on any medium, from which a moving image may by any method be generated. A television programme is protected as a film for these purposes, and the definition is intended to be technology-neutral. This Practice Note examines the copyright protection conferred on films and television programmes themselves as copyright works, and Practice Note: Copyright in film and television: making a new film explores certain matters concerning the types of works (dramatic, literary, musical and artistic works) known as the ‘underlying rights’ that a producer may need to create or be required to licence during the course of making a new film or television production. The legal issues relating to television formats are not dealt with in this Practice Note; instead, see Practice Note: Television format rights. Copyright in films The general position is that the subsistence of copyright in existing films depends on the date of their creation and is determined by the law in force when the film...

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