The German Motion Picture Industry

This book deals with the economic impact of several legal regulations on the German film industry, focusing in particular on the effects of three pieces of legislation central to Germany s public debate on film politics. The legislation considered is the Film Act (Filmfِrderungsgesetz - FFG), the amendments to the Copyright Law (Urheberrechtsgesetz - UrhG), and the Inter-State Agreement on Broadcasting (Rundfunk-staatsvertrag - RStV). The inquiry examines how these statutes affect economic efficiency. In addition, major market and institutional characteristics of the German motion picture industry are studied. Key topics: A broadly disposed regression analysis of the determinants of success of German movies (in terms of admission numbers and profits). A seminal economic analysis of interactive product placements in the age of media convergence.