English Entertainment
Bush taps Chris Israel to head US’ IPR enforcement initiatives
MUMBAI: US President George Bush has created a new senior-level position to fight the menace of global piracy and counterfeiting of American products ranging from Hollywood movies to Detroit auto parts.
Bush has tapped Chris Israel as the new coordinator of international intellectual property enforcement. He is currently the deputy chief of staff for US commerce secretary Carlos M Gutierrez. Israel was at one time a public policy executive at Time Warner.
In his new role, Israel will work with agencies across the US administration to develop policies to address international intellectual property violations and enforce intellectual property laws overseas. In this role, he will head the international work of the National Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Coordination Council (NIPLECC) and coordinate and supervise international intellectual property protection plans among other agencies.
Israel will accordingly play a significant role in the implementation of the Bush Administrations STOP Initiative. Nearly seven per cent of the goods in the global marketplace are counterfeit. According to USTRs 2005 Special 301 Report, in China alone, 90 per cent of the music and movies sold are pirated. The Bush administration states that it has worked aggressively to combat intellectual property theft through enhanced enforcement and prosecution for intellectual property crimes and also through state of the art intellectual property protections in trade agreements.
Gutierrez says, Intellectual property theft costs US businesses billions of dollars and weakens our economy. American ingenuity and innovation are driving forces in our economy and we need to protect our ideas, both at home and abroad. This new position will help us to be more aggressive and also help us to better coordinate our fight against intellectual property pirates.”
Israel has served as deputy chief of staff for the Secretary of Commerce since 2004, where he has helped advance the Bush administrations agenda of growing the economy, promoting trade expansion and protecting intellectual property rights.
English Entertainment
ZEE5 UK partners Narrative Entertainment to add UK channels
Six FAST channels added as platform sharpens hybrid play in Britain
LONDON: ZEE5 UK struck a first-of-its-kind deal with Narrative Entertainment, bringing mainstream UK television channels onto an Indian streaming platform as it pushes to deepen its footprint in a crowded, mature market.
The partnership adds six of Narrative’s FAST channels to the service, including Great! Movies, Great! Romance, Great! Mystery and kids brands POP, Tiny Pop and POP UP, widening ZEE5 UK’s appeal across genres and age groups.
The move reflects a clear shift in strategy. ZEE5 UK is betting on a hybrid model that blends on-demand content with curated, always-on channels to drive discovery and increase time spent on the platform.
“This partnership represents a meaningful evolution in how we serve audiences in mature markets like the UK, where viewers are defined by habits, convenience and choice rather than geography or language alone,” said Parul Goel, territory head, Europe, Zee Entertainment. “By bringing trusted mainstream UK channels together with our premium originals, movies and kids’ content, we are building a more consumer-centric platform that simplifies viewing while increasing depth and relevance.”
Fateha Begum, commercial director, Narrative Entertainment, said the tie-up would fuel growth for both sides. “Our portfolio of quality programming, with such wide and enduring appeal, is a perfect complement to ZEE5 UK. This is a strong partnership that will support growth for both parties, and we share Zee Entertainment’s vision of an increasingly partnership-led future for the industry.”
ZEE5’s global library spans over 4,000 films and more than 500 originals, with over 130 new titles added annually. The addition of Narrative’s channels strengthens its kids offering and introduces genre-led linear experiences alongside its on-demand catalogue.
The deal also gives Narrative access to ZEE5 UK’s fast-growing user base, extending reach without diluting brand identity, while reinforcing ZEE5 UK’s network of more than 40 live channels.
As streaming wars intensify, ZEE5 UK is widening its playbook, blending content, convenience and partnerships in a bid to win screen time in one of the world’s toughest markets.
