UK media companies have made little progress inthe last five years in their exploitation of intellectual property (IP) rights.

Most problems identified by accountancy andconsulting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) five years ago remain concernstoday and, with the exception of piracy, are even ranked the same.

In a new study Embracing The Challenge of AConnected World, PWC said that piracy is now the number one IP concern forUK film companies and was cited by 100% of those questioned in its survey. Butthe biggest barrier for the film and broadcast sector as a whole is valuationof IP.

Curiously perhaps, given the ongoing impact ofDVD and the likely growth of on-demand supply being generated by thepenetration of wireless and broadband technology, most rated opportunitiesopened up by new technology as relatively insignificant.

Instead most expect underlying market growth tobe the biggest driver of revenue improvement. Few rated international sales astheir top revenue driver, but aggregated results suggest that it is the mostimportant avenue for independent TV producers and film companies.

When it comes to valuing their content,independent producers are the unhappiest in the media sector, with 75%believing that they do not get a fair deal.

Film and TV companies are seeking to improve their skills andcompetences in four areas: IT systems, digital rights management, processes forexploiting opportunities and joint ventures/third party relationships.