The ten-month dispute over Belgian box office figures is close to being resolved after the Belgian Society of Film Distributors proposed a new scheme that could be introduced early next year.

It is understood that the scheme would be similar to the Maccs Box movie accounting system that is used in Holland.

The dispute began in January after leading exhibitor Kinepolis Group stopped providing box office data to the country’s centralised system because of concerns over the way information was handled. It complained that sensitive data had been leaked to the press affecting its share price.

Rival exhibitors quickly stopped providing distributors with information, meaning they have been forced to spend hours every week trying to secure up-to-date figures from individual cinemas.

Jack Verbeke from non-profit industry body S.I.C.R (Service Professionel de Contole des Recetttes), which represents the interests of both distributors and exhibitors, confirmed that financing for the new system has been agreed by distributors.

A Kinepolis spokesperson insists that the company is “open” to new proposals, but it will not sign up for any new centralised system unless confidentiality rules are strictly applied.

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