PARIS: France is looking to decide this year on how it might tax US online giants Google, Amazon and Netflix to help fund its heavily subsidised film and television sector in response to changes brought on by Internet video streaming.Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin told Les Echos business newspaper in an interview published Thursday “different paths” were being looked at on the French and EU levels to make sure the Internet majors contributed, and she wanted “to find a solution” by the end of this year.
It’s an urgent issue for the financing of French production, which they (the US Internet companies) profit from because they are also advertisers,” she said.I have no doubt the solutions France will come up with will also interest Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland.”The comments were the latest sign that France is determined to protect its audiovisual sector, and will counter any attempts by the big American companies to avoid French taxes used to support domestic productions.
