How companies get around ownership

In the British Film Industry companies get around ownership in several ways.

1) By using synergy. Many companies such as film4 will look to work with the large conglomerate for distributing their product. However this means surrendering some of the right and sharing the profits.
Example case study - Slumdog Millionaire with Fox Searchlight.

2) By using synergy with a smaller company. Several British companies are using many Europe/British-based companies and companies that have specialist interest.
Example Case Study - Four Lion with Optimum Releasing and Slumdog in the UK with Pathe

3) By allowing themselves to be bought out. Several British companies allow others to take them over in order to gain more support and securityfor their products.
Examples from case study - Optimum Releasing joining Studio Canal who are part of Vivendi SA and Working Title Films who are now owned by NBCUniversal

4) By using a smaller, independent companies to work with. With the current upward trend toward convergent technology and digital screens, many British Producers are turning to smaller distribution companies to work with.
Examples from Case Study - Inbetweeners moive with Entertainment Films (a UK-Based distributor) and Four Lions with Drafthouse Films - an independent USA distributor.

5) By using the law - If a production company to ensure it is linked with a distributor through pre-sales and will protect it's product with rights and laws such as the copyright act. This protects its product.

Ownership and what it is

Ownership is where media industries progressively control a share of mass media market.

This is dominated by significant small number of conglomerates

Ownership is important as very often the greater amount of ownership you have over a product the greater your profits, rights, and control.

In films this is difficult as the film-making process often involves multiple rights.

This naturally makes is difficult for smaller companies to gain full ownership of the product, particularly with 80% of the distribution market dominated by larger conglomerates such as Fox.

Smaller companies are now starting to find ways of getting around o overcoming ownership issues.

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