Admits liability for 'passing off' Prospero series as own
BROADCAST EXCLUSIVE -An 18-month legal battle between Anglia TV's Survival and an independent production company, whose programme credits were removed and replaced by the name of a Survival subsidiary, has finally been settled in the High Court, writes Ashley Davies.

Australian indie Prospero Productions had alleged that the producer and director credits for Hutan, Wildlife of the Malaysian Rainforest had been unfairly changed to suggest that Anglia wildlife subsidiary Catspaw Productions had made the programmes. It attempted to sue Survival Anglia for£500,000.

The two parties then agreed to settle the matter last September for damages of£1,000 - but Prospero is understood to have later sought to withdraw from the agreement.

Last week, Survival Anglia took Prospero to court and admitted liability for 'passing off' the Prospero series as its own, and was ordered to pay£1,000 damages and Prospero's legal costs up to 24 September 1999. Prospero was ordered to pay Survival Anglia's legal costs after 24 September 1999.

Prospero director Ed Punchard said: 'This sets a precedent. With the increasing globalisation of the market and the way broadcasters are trying to create brand identities, independents are under enormous pressure to give in to these things.'