Swiss voters approve ‘Lex Netflix’ TV streaming funding law

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A poster reading: “No to the movie legislation – anti-client, unfair, patronising” is witnessed on a industry, ahead of the Swiss voters votes on numerous issues in a referendum next weekend, near Birmensdorf, Switzerland May possibly 9, 2022. Photo taken May perhaps 9, 2022. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

ZURICH, May well 15 (Reuters) – Swiss voters on Sunday backed proposals to make world wide Television streaming companies this sort of as Netflix Inc (NFLX.O), Amazon (AMZN.O) and Disney (DIS.N) invest some of their revenues produced in Switzerland into domestic film-building.

Just around 58% of voters backed the proposal, in accordance to the ultimate result, in one particular of three countrywide votes held below the Swiss method of immediate democracy.

Switzerland will grow to be the hottest European nation to introduce these kinds of measures to aid neighborhood Tv and movie manufacturing and increase regionally-produced content material.

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“This end result underlines the cultural great importance of film-producing in Switzerland,” Swiss Interior Minister Alain Berset advised a push conference on Sunday.

In the binding referendum on what is getting named “Lex Netflix”, global streaming companies must make investments 4% of the income they make in Switzerland in regional movie production.

The investments can acquire the sort of buying locally-built demonstrates, earning programmes them selves or go into an expenditure fund.

Netflix said it highly regarded the result and would operate with the federal government utilizing the regulation.

“We believe that that superior stories can arrive from any where, and we have currently invested in material from Switzerland in the past,” a Netflix spokesperson explained.

Amazon declined to remark and Disney did not reply to a request for comment.

A equivalent legislation has been passed in Portugal the place streaming services vendors have to fork out 1% on their earnings to the Institute of Cinema and Audiovisuals.

Denmark is taking into consideration a levy and Spain is owing to introduce 1. France and Italy make streaming providers invest a proportion of their revenues in European written content in neighborhood languages.

In a individual referendum, 72% authorised expanding funding for Europe’s Frontex border stability agency.

A rejection could have forced Switzerland out of the 26-member Schengen passport-free of charge travel zone and the Dublin technique of coordinating asylum purposes.

In the third vote, individuals now require to decide out of transplants relatively than opt in immediately after 60% of voters supported the prepare.

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Reporting by John Revill
Modifying by Gareth Jones, David Evans and Emelia Sithole-Matarise

Our Expectations: The Thomson Reuters Trust Rules.

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