FRANCE MAY TAX MOBILE DEVICES TO PAY FOR MOVIES

A French government study has recommended that a 1 percent tax be imposed on the sale of smartphones, tablets and other Internet-connected devices as part of a proposal to revamp the funding of France’s film industry. Such a tax, the study indicated, could be “easily absorbed” by the makers and sellers of the devices and is “fair because it is a way to recuperate a little value from those that benefit from content but do not finance it.” Today’s (Thursday) London Financial Times observed that while local films account for 35-40 percent of the French box-office, only about 30 percent of them are profitable. Film production in the country operated at a deficit of $546 million in 2011. The study also criticized payments of large fees to big stars and proposed that actors’ fees be tied to revenue. And, among other suggestions, it recommended that filmmakers attempt to attract more outside investment, including online crowdfunding.