Stockholm, April 12, 2006
Today the 12th of April 2006 the judgment of the Court of Appeal (Svea hovrätt)
in the lawsuit concerning commercial breaks in films - film directors Vilgot
Sjöman and Claes Eriksson versus the Swedish TV-company TV4 - was announced. The
Court of Appeal reaffirms the judgment of the City court of Stockholm and
establishes that commercial breaks in films constitute a violation of the Moral
rights of film makers.
-Vilgot Sjöman and Claes Eriksson have through their personal efforts
strengthened the position of film creators and authors in Sweden and hopefully
also throughout the world, says Peter Curman, president of KLYS. It is a great
victory for artistic expression in general and for the creation of films
especially that the Court of Appeal considers the making of films as a serious
art form just as visual art, music, theatre and literature.
- It is very, very sad though that Vilgot, because of his sudden death a few
days ago, is not with us today to experience the joy of the judgment, adds Peter
Curman.
The lawyer in the lawsuit Håkan Sjöström claims that the judgment is very clear
confirming that the Moral right still has a value for the individual artist and
that an express permission from the film director is necessary to legitimate
commercial breaks in films.
KLYS – the Swedish Joint Committée for Artistic and Literary Professionals –
support the legal process in this case both economically and with legal
assistance and knowledge in the making of films.
Read more about the background to this case om KLYS website www.klys.se
For further information, please contact:
Peter Curman, Chairman of KLYS
Tel +46 (0)8 667 88 90 or +46 (0)70-721 25 42
Ulrica Källén, Coordinator/Legal adviser Tel
+46 (0)8 667 88 90