programmes as platforms: how to understand ip in interactive tv

For those playing along at home:!

Todd Green / Kris Erickson, Glasgow University!

Four perspectives on IP in interactive TV shows!

The top seven shows 2010-12!

2010!

1. The X Factor!

2. Eastenders!

3. Coronation St!

4. Britain’s Got Talent!

5. I’m A Celebrity!

6. Strictly Come Dancing!

7. Doctor Who!

2011!

1. The X Factor!

2. The Royal Wedding!

3. Strictly Come Dancing!

4. Britain’s Got Talent!

5. I’m A Celebrity!

6. Coronation St!

7. Downton Abbey!

2012!

1. Diamond Jubilee!

2. Britain’s Got Talent!

3. Coronation Street!

4. Downton Abbey !

5. The Voice!

6. I’m A Celebrity!

7. The X Factor!

2!

(Excluding sport)!

12 out of 21 were interactive shows!

2010!

1. The X Factor!

2. Eastenders!

3. Coronation St!

4. Britain’s Got Talent!

5. I’m A Celebrity!

6. Strictly Come Dancing!

7. Doctor Who!

2011!

1. The X Factor!

2. The Royal Wedding!

3. Strictly Come Dancing!

4. Britain’s Got Talent!

5. I’m A Celebrity!

6. Coronation St!

7. Downton Abbey!

2012!

1. Diamond Jubilee!

2. Britain’s Got Talent!

3. Coronation Street!

4. Downton Abbey !

5. The Voice!

6. I’m A Celebrity!

7. The X Factor!

3!

(Aka 57%)!

Traditional vs. Interactive shows!

4!

Blackadder!

Pre-packaged!!

Unchangeable!!

Audience watches!

The X Factor!

Live!!

Reactive!!

Audience helps to shape!

How does IP differ between them?!Traditional vs. Interactive shows differ in terms of IP!!

We can look at ‘IP’ in four different models:!

Legal!

Accounting! Communitarian!

Entrepreneurial!

6!

Model 1 – Legal !

= Mainly copyrights + trademarks!!Unlike traditional shows, interactive shows include consumer IP!!But consumer IP is treated as separate to producer IP!!And consumers do not share legally / financially in the benefits derived from their contributions!

8!

Model 2 – Entrepreneurial!

8!

= ‘IP’ as shorthand for a brand!!The term ‘IP’ is helpful as part of a shared language for production and commercial teams!!Much more than traditional shows, interactive shows merge production and commercial teams’ work (e.g. in companion apps)!!But this does not necessarily mean that their priorities are aligned…!

© FremantleMedia 2012!

8!

Model 3 – Accounting!

= IP as an asset with financial value!!Either a legal intangible asset (e.g. copyright), or a competitive intangible asset (e.g. know-how, customer data) !!Interactive shows have lower reuse value (e.g. if they rely on live interactions, old eps cannot usually be rebroadcast)!!But interactive shows generate greater competitive intangible assets (especially customer data)!

8!

Model 4 – Communitarian!

= IP belongs to the shared culture from which the product draws its ideas and inspiration!!By definition, interactive shows rely much more heavily on IP drawn from a shared culture than do traditional ones!!And unlike traditional shows, in interactive shows the producers actively encourage and participate in the creation of ‘metatexts’ (Jenkins)!!But NB it is not a free-for-all – producers still control what appears on screen!

13!

Summary of the four models!1.  Interactivity changes IP in all four models!

2.  Interactive shows are more complicated to create and manage in all four models!

3.  Interactive shows demand that production companies don’t simply manage IP – must also manage IP!

4.  In all four models, consumer contributions are kept separate from production company IP!

!!Lawyer ! ! !“We need an iron-clad EULA”!Entrepreneur !“Does this contribution add value?”!Accountant ! !“How do we measure the asset value?”!Communitarian !“This is a shared work, not just the production company’s”!

13!

But…!

None of these really gives us a !practical understanding of !

how IP works in interactive shows!

13!

So… here’s what we propose!

Programmes!as!

Platforms!

New model – Programmes as Platforms!

Interactive shows:!Curating a lot of small bits of info -> Entertaining experience!Just like web platforms, e.g. Facebook!

14!

15!

New model – Programmes as Platforms!

Interactive shows:!Curating a lot of small bits of info -> Entertaining experience!Just like web platforms, e.g. Facebook!

16!

New model – Programmes as Platforms!

Interactive shows:!Curating a lot of small bits of info -> Entertaining experience!Just like web platforms, e.g. Facebook!

17!

New model – Programmes as Platforms!

Interactive shows:!Curating a lot of small bits of info -> Entertaining experience!Just like web platforms, e.g. Facebook!

Consumer inputs !(votes, tweets, SMSs…)!

Production inputs !(presenter, cameras…)!

Production filter!(director)!

TV show!

Here’s how interactive TV shows combine multiple inputs:!

18!

New model – Programmes as Platforms!

Production filter!(curation)!

Newsfeed filter! (curation)!

Conclusion!

So, when thinking about IP in interactive TV shows:!!•  Interactive shows are less like traditional shows, !!and more like web platforms!

•  That’s because web platforms manage consumer IP!!inputs in a similar way!

•  In short: interactive programmes should be seen !!as platforms!!!!

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Thanks!!

Any questions?!

20!

@toddmgreen!