Canadian Lawyer InHouse

august 2014 20 INHOUSE Last year TV Ontario's legal services and business affairs department launched its Content and Pro- gram Rights system. CPR is TVO's homegrown rights management system built in-house involv- ing the input of the legal department, content and programming and information technology departments. The innovation lies in creating and using new technology for tracking media content deals from development stage to contracting and then to mass distribution. The CPR system enabled all affected departments to perform work quickly and seamlessly. Moving away from endless status update meetings, phone calls, and excess e-mails, the new CPR system ensured the legal depart- ment and its client groups were coordinated and updated in real time. Consequently, the legal de- partment became effi cient, focused on value-add activities instead of "administrivia." "CPR has not only enabled TVO to track its content rights, but more importantly in this time of evolving technologies and multiple screens, it has given TVO the ability to have authorized staff access customized reports 24/7, so they can de- termine what content we can exploit where, when and how," says Mark Le Blanc, general counsel at TVO. "CPR has moved TVO from having a rights database, to a 24/7 customizable reporting tool. Furthermore, it is tailored to the needs of the Canadian marketplace, taking into account such factors as tracking Canada Media Fund commit- ments." TVO, which is Ontario's not-for-profi t public education media organization, needed a new rights management system that would refl ect the diverse and complex nature of new media deals. The existing system was slow, outdated, and infl exible to handle the input of new rights. The new CPR can properly capture the data and be adapted for recording future rights that do not yet exist. Savings resulted in reducing overtime so the team could focus on the essential tasks like contracting and negotiating deals. There were also savings by using the IT team to develop the CPR system in-house which met the organization's needs more than off-the-shelf software could. The CPR system enabled other departments to know the status of a media deal in real time. The revenue team can also access the system as they can then see which media titles can be sub-licensed, based on the rights. Mark Le Blanc Mara Tramontin Marj Cromb Osnat Sitbon Jonathan Lau Introducing: the legal department became effi cient, focused on value-add activities instead of 'administrivia.' HOMEGrOWn MAnAGEMEnT TOOL nETS TVO COST SAVInGS AnD EFFICIEnCIES BY JENNIFER BROWN catEgory: Law Department Management dEpartmEnt siZE: Small company: TV Ontario saNDRa stRaNgEMORE

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