Wetlook World Forum

The reason that only the very best pro videos can be found on store shelves is due to the 70 year old censorship laws enacted in the UK in the 1930's that require all movies released (and now videos sold off the shelf) in the UK to be "certified" by the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) with what is called the BBFC ratings certificate.

Unlike the USA...which has the MPAA rating system for movies that are released...the U.S. constitution has the first amendment that guarantees freedom of speech and expression, and therefore the u.s. government cannot impose mandatory ratings on movies. The U.S. MPAA rating system is entirely "optional"...not mandatory...and is really nothing more than a marketing tool these days....i.e. movies and videos can be released in the USA as "unrated" if producers wish to do so -- the only reason people get a ratings certificate in the USA...is to be able to market that movie...and they do not want the dreaded "X" rating...cos that is the kiss of death for ticket sales...so they will often drop genitalia scenes just to get the R rating so that the movie theatre owners will show the movie on more screens.

The UK is a totally different ballgame. Unlike the U.S. constitution, there is no right to free speech in the uk ...as a Brit myself...I know that any time the government wants to suppress something...they can slap a "D Notice" on any book or media they want...and just ban it from being seen. Unlike the optional MPAA ratings system in the USA....the UK BBFC ratings system is MANDATORY...and it is illegal to sell unrated or uncertified videos off the shelf. The jail terms and fines for selling unrated videos...are about the same as the USA gives to bamk robbers...ha ha ...7 years in jail and fines of $100,000 and up.

If it were just a simple matter of submitting your video to the BBFC and getting their certificate of approval...at a reasonable cost....then thousands of uk producers would be able to sell their products in uk stores. However...the BBFC laws have been totally corrupted over the years...and the entire purpose of the 1930's law...ie to control indecency....has really been taken over today by what really amounts to be a TAX....a HUGE tax on producers who wish to sell their product.

FYI...I received an email from Bill Shipton (Splosh editor) yesterday...cos we were planning to release several of my titles on DVD for sale in UK stores...and the BBFC certification fee is 1200 pounds ($2200) per title.

Now you can see why it becomes untenable for many producers to sell their products off the shelf in the UK....cos you need to cough up $2200 first...and for most small time producers, they cannot recover that cost thru sales...the BBFC fees would create a loss to the producer.

So...as with any outrageous tax.....the people who do not like unfair and outrageous taxes.....revolt. In earlier times...you guys over in the USA had your Boston Tea Party.

In this day and age...media producers resort to taking their products online and offshore and NOT on uk store shelves.

As any economist will tell you...when you increase taxes...you will not increase tax revenues....you just drive it offshore or people invest in other things instead. If you lower taxes...you will increase your tax revenues...cos more people are willing to pay it.

This is a lesson the UK Government and BBFC have not yet learned....cos I have 100 titles I would like to market in the UK stores...if the UK BBFC fees were reasonable..i.e. $100 per application....I would pay it.....but I will not be gouged...I do not consider a $2000 tax per each title ...to be a reasonable tax to pay.....so the UK government will get ZERO taxes from me. I will stay in the USA and gladly pay taxes to the U.S. government instead.

mk