Note 1 Charity rate

The Charity rate is available only to charities registered in the UK.

Note 2 Cancellation fee

The amount of work submitted to the Board under the Video Recordings Act has a direct effect on the time taken by the Board to view the average video.

An assessment of this has revealed a number of submissions for which prepayment has never been received or background data supplied. Indeed many works have been submitted which have later been withdrawn either because the company no longer wishes to proceed with the work or because it considers that greater urgency attaches to other submissions.

Therefore, the Board levies a cancellation fee or handling charge to pay for the abortive work carried out by Board staff. This work will have included the opening of a file, the measurement and technical assessment of the work and issuing of a technical report, the normal research required into the work’s history both on film and video either under the same title or under alternative titles, the raising of a pro-forma invoice, the completion of a registration form to include all the above data and , in the case of cancellation, the closing of the file and transfer to suspended records.

The Board, therefore, institutes a charge for every submitted work for which a notice of cancellation is received, or for which prepayment is not received within ninety days of the date on the pro-forma invoice. Once ninety days have elapsed the work will be disposed of by the BBFC. New submissions from that company will not be progressed until payment of the handling/ cancellation fee is received.

Any work which has had research tasks undertaken by Information Services or moved through to subsequent parts of the process will be subject to a withdrawal charge if the submitting company decides it no longer wishes to continue with a work. Works which have been on hold having had letters/emails issued and are awaiting a response from the submitting company will be automatically withdrawn by the BBFC if no response is forthcoming under the terms of the letter/email. These will also be charged the withdrawal fee upon withdrawal by the BBFC.

If a submission is withdrawn then a withdrawal fee will be payable. However, if any work is performed beyond the measurement stage the fee payable will be the higher of the withdrawal charge or the requisite fee for the work performed.

Theatrical works cancelled within 24 hours of the day they are due to be examined, irrespective of the time of screening, will attract a full cancellation fee without exception.

Note 3 - Incomplete video games

Where a company has not specified that a game is incomplete, and it is found on examination that this is the case, a full fee will be charged at the normal tariff.