Official warns against media rule violations

Art and media production companies have been urged to comply with the regulations and laws governing the sector.  Media Administration director Youssef Mohammed Ismail stressed the necessity of obtaining a prior licence from the department in case of filming, production, or authorising the script or cinema and theatrical presentation.

In a statement issued, he said that the procedures aim at protecting copyrights and ensure compliance with the legal measures regulating the sector. “Under article 23 of the law on press and publishing, it is prohibited to circulate registered publications without the prior written approval of the department. “It is prohibited to show any film or make a reference to a film, or screen a commercial in cinemas before it is licensed by the Committee for Motion Picture Control and Registered Publications.”

The ministry may issue instructions to directors of cinemas or those responsible for their management aimed at maintaining the standard of cinema programmes on the religious, national, moral and artistic levels and heeding public decency in movie theatres. Under the law, all enterprises operating in the audiovisual, print, and electronic media are required to comply with the Law on the Press, Printing and Publishing and other relevant legislations.

It is also compulsory to take into account the controls and standards in the practise of media work, including honesty, objectivity and credibility in the media through which broadcasting or publication is carried out. The law prohibits any targeting of national unity and social cohesion, stressing the need to respect ethical principles and charters in media work, and heed intellectual property rights. The Media Administration director stressed the keenness of the Information Affairs Ministry on supporting creative citizens and facilitating procedures to consolidate the culture of intellectual property rights.

“The ministry has licensed 300 films and 70 plays, facilitated the filming of Arab and Gulf series in Bahrain, and licensed several media production and advertising firms and registered a number of artistic works,” he said.