Extras Leak Sparks Second BBC Piracy Investigation
The BBC has suffered its second high-profile internet leak this year, with tomorrow night’s episode of Extras, featuring Hollywood actor Samuel L Jackson, already appearing on file sharing networks.
The BBC is believed to have launched an investigation into the slip-up, which echoes the leaking of Dr Who‘s first episode earlier this year.
Extras, the creation of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, forms part of the BBC’s latest comedy drive, airing on BBC Two on Thursday nights. However, the latest slip will be an embarrassment to the Corporation.
The leaked episode of Dr Who was eventually traced to an employee of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which worked with the BBC on the series. It is possible that the same method of piracy, where review copies of the show are transferred from DVD onto a computer, was used in this instance.
The issue of internet piracy is of growing concern to broadcasters. Earlier this year BBC director general Mark Thompson addressed the Westminster Media Forum, recognising the implications of digital technology and pledging to drive the Corporation towards more effective use of the internet.
“Broadcasting is entering a new phase,” he explained. “That phase can be characterised by a radical increase in choice, consumer power and the ability and way in which they use content. This is already happening and it poses interesting questions for everyone. For example, the first episode of Dr Who was available illegally in the UK on BitTorrent, several weeks before we aired it on BBC One.”
However, the BBC boss explained that internet access to TV content need not be seen in a negative light, announcing that several new technologies would enable the BBC to licence and sell programmes online.
Amongst the Corporation’s new initiatives is its interactive Media Player (iMP), currently in its trial phase but eventually intended to allow on-demand access to all of the BBC’s content, as well as giving access to the wide-ranging BBC archive (see BBC Media Player Paves Way For Legal TV Downloads).
BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk