BBFC To Classify UltraViolet Online Movies

The British Board of Film Classification has announced that digital copies of films on VoD streaming service UltraViolet collections will now carry its age ratings.
BBFC age ratings will now be displayed against film content stored in customer lockers and on the UltraViolet parental control functions.
UltraViolet allows customers buying a film from a participating retailer to add it to their UltraViolet collection, giving them the option to stream their film over the internet, or also download it for offline viewing.
The BBFC has revealed how recent research showed 85% of respondents considered it important to have consistent BBFC classifications for video-on-demand content.
The number rose to 90% among parents of children under 16.
David Cooke, Director BBFC said: "The flexibility of UltraViolet makes it even more important for users to be able to make informed decisions about what they stream or download, particularly if they have children in their care that might be using the service."
Online continues to be an emerging video medium.
The number of works submitted to the BBFC for online only classifications, which are not required by law, rose by 40% in 2012, while to date in 2013 online only classifications are up 135% on the same period in 2012.
The BBFC’s service for streamed and downloaded content was launched in collaboration with the home entertainment industry in 2008. The service provides trusted age ratings, symbols and BBFCinsight to set-top box, video-on-demand and other online content providers.
www.bbfc.co.uk
(IT/CD)