An editor has nominated this article for deletion. You are welcome to participate in the deletion discussion, which will decide whether or not to retain it. |
In British film classifications, the E certificate is an unofficial rating sometimes applied to video titles released in the United Kingdom which are exempt from being classified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) as any of the other certificate categories.
Material that is exempt from classification sometimes displays symbols similar to BBFC certificates, for example an E "certificate", on their packaging or promotional materials. There is no legal obligation, nor a particular scheme, for labelling material that is exempt from classification.
The BBFC do not view any material which is exempt from classification and therefore do not issue any certificate of any kind. The decision to release any title as exempt from classification is not made by the BBFC, but by the distributors and/or producers themselves who have the responsibility of ensuring that it would be suitable for exemption. The "E" symbol has no legal standing itself,[1] and local Trading Standards officers may confiscate material bearing a distributor-applied "E" symbol if they believe that it is not exempt. The distributor may then be subject to prosecution under the Video Recordings Act 2010.[2]
Some producers may wish to have their work classified even though they may be exempt, as the public tend to be more familiar with proper certificates and it also provides more legal backing.[2]
- ^ BBFC, "FAQ: What does the E symbol mean, and is it an official category?". Retrieved on 11 September 2016.
- ^ a b BBFC, "Exemption criteria". Retrieved on 11 September 2016.