The BBFC is accepting submissions on DVD as from January 1st 2006. As a result of this there is no need to submit works on DVD with a burnt in time code, the DVD counter time providing the same information.
Removing the burnt in time code on a digital version could be seen as potentially increasing the opportunity for untraceable piracy of the material to occur. The presence of a time code instantly demonstrates that this is not a released version of the product.
The BBFC is confident that its security measures are sufficient. The BBFCs procedures have been accredited by the Federation Against Copyright Theft to that effect. The BBFC cannot, of course, guarantee the security of material before it reaches our premises and fully appreciates the video industry’s concern than untraceable piracy could occur.
There has been a long standing objection to the use of DOGs as these are often deliberately designed to be large and intrusive. This is understandable as an anti-piracy measure but renders the work unusable for classification purposes.
In the light of our shared concerns the BBFC is now prepared to accept DOGs on submissions, subject to the adherence to the standards laid out below.
The overriding principle is that no DOG should obstruct the visibility of any significant material. Regardless of other points if a DOG does obstruct significant material then the work will require resubmission with the DOG adjusted or removed as necessary.
The DOG must be in the top right or top left hand corner of the picture.
The DOG must not extend over more than the top 20% of the image, or over more than 35% of the width of the image from the nearest edge.
The DOG must be static, not scrolling, flashing or otherwise dynamic.
The DOG must be white and have a transparency of 50%.
Text in the DOG is to be limited to 10 characters. A code of "copy 2263", a company name or abbreviation is acceptable as is a unique code generated for the copy or any other text, though limited to ten characters. This limit helps to ensure that the DOG is comparable with a time code in screen space used. The DOG must not contain an explicit reference to the BBFC (eg 'BBFC COPY' or 'CENSORCOPY').
Text in the DOG must not be in an excessively large font.
The following examples illustrate DOGs which are acceptable and DOGs which are unacceptable under this policy.
Acceptable Examples
Unacceptable Examples
Excessively large font
Extending beyond designated area
Should you have any questions regarding this information please contact the Technical the customer helpline on 020 7440 0299 - option 2 or email technical@bbfc.co.uk
