STOP PRESS
In view of reports concerning cameras on the present tour we need to make you aware that Concert Venue policy towards cameras has hardened since Cliff last toured. If a camera is large or if it has detachable lenses the venue staffs are under standing instructions from Venue Management to regard it as professional equipment and to confiscate it for the duration of the concert. We strongly recommend that you use only a small compact camera or a telephone camera. Beware!
A Note from the Desk of the MD of the CRO
We see part of the CRO's responsibility as ensuring that you, the longstanding and faithful fans, receive what we consider to be value for money, so I should like to make clear a few principles (as we see them).
Camera Ban
We have never had a problem with genuine fans taking still photographs for their private use. However, recording equipment is now so sophisticated that what might appear to be a small, personal "stills" camera is now often capable of recording high-quality sound and video. The problems then come from the very small minority who abuse this freedom by making unauthorised audio and audio-visual recordings of performances (which they know very well they should not do). These few people know it is illegal but they persist in stealing (I use the word deliberately) the rights belonging to Cliff, his band, the dancers, the music publishers and the record companies.
In 2004 despite the camera ban at the Royal Albert Hall, within a matter of weeks a pirate video was on offer for sale, and recordings were even advertised by a supposedly legitimate specialist record shop!
More recently our attention was drawn to a retailer advertising the impending release of "The Cliff Richard Anthology". Pirate product again and our lawyers put a stop to it.
As has been said before, it is through the controlled exploitation of their rights that performers, publishers and record companies earn their livings. Illicit recordings are damaging, and the quality is often an insult to everyone's professionalism. This brings me back to "still" photography.
Enforcing a ban on all equipment is one effective method of controlling the pirates to some extent, but it does disappoint so many people who genuinely seek just a photograph for their own pleasure. We very much wish to accommodate this and will not impose a ban at the venues on the 2006 concert tour. We very much wish to accommodate this, but could you help us, please? If you become aware of someone making an unauthorised recording, could you draw it to the attention of an attendant, or cough or sneeze - just to spoil their recording. Better yet, please do not be tempted to purchase their horrible products!
Merchandise
There seems to be a huge industry out there. On the whole we turn a blind eye to it because it is mostly harmless and often just a well-intentioned exchange between fans - although to be honest, the quality of some of it is a little undesirable.
There are however commercially minded people who exploit Cliff's name and/or image. Some come to us for our help and approval, which we give when we feel it is appropriate. Others seem to regard Cliff as fair game, to be exploited for their own benefit, and with total disregard for the views of his representatives (us). You can see some examples of this on offer right now - unattractive and over-priced products that we declined to approve.
You will have noticed that we now occasionally point to products that we feel are not of an acceptable quality or value or both.
We hope that this clarifies certain issues, and send best wishes to you all.
Thank you all.
Malcolm Smith - MD