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British cinema chain Cineworld will buy American chain Regal Entertainment for £2.7 ($3.6) billion
The merger announcement comes at a time of tough competition amongst theatre chains as they struggle with long-term declines in audiences and changes in consumer behaviour. Exclusive release windows continue to shorten.  Introduction of the Video Home System (VHS) technology in the late 1970's posed a significant threat to the traditional studio-to-cinema distribution model. Studios and cinemas created the “release window” system in the 1980's as a strategy to keep different film formats from competing with each other. Only after a film was shown exclusively in cinemas for a particular “window” of time would it then be released for home rental or purchase. In 1999, the window had an average of 27 weeks. Today, the average is just 15 weeks, with smaller films often having release windows of just a few weeks or even days. This poses a challenge to cinemas, as they have a shorter amount of time to exploit their monopoly on the film before it becomes available on DVD or on-demand. Netflix: from disruptor to key industry player.  The 20 year-old company that started as a simple DVD home delivery service just announced plans to release 80 original films next year. With nearly 110 million subscribers around the world, has doubled its audience base since 2014. Other streaming platforms including Amazon, Hulu and YouTube have also made significant dents in Hollywood's business model. [gallery ids="3695,3696" type="columns"] While Regal has not disclosed why it selling, there are many plausible benefits to consider.  Firstly, Regal and Cineworld would likely reduce expenses across a variety of departments, as redundancies between the two - for example in marketing or finance - would be streamlined. The two chains would also benefit from joined resources, including that of knowledgeable staff, pre-existing cinemas, and the leveraging of existing networks. Cineworld would also gain access to American customers by acquiring Regal, without the start-up costs traditionally involved in venturing into new jurisdictions.

Kensington Palace announced this week that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are officially engaged, and are expected to marry next May. Before we dismiss the celebrations as just another celebrity extravaganza, it's important to remember that the upcoming nuptials will benefit the economy, too. This year, the British Monarchy generated £1.77 billion to the UK economy. This includes a £50 million contribution for fictional shows like The Crown and Victoria, which offer a glimpse into the mystique of the Royal family. The figure also takes into consideration £550 million from tourism: in 2016, 2.7 million people visited Buckingham Palace alone. When William and Kate married in 2011, the British economy was boosted by £2 billion, with £26 million being from Wills and Kate souvenirs and merchandise. Likewise for Harry and Meghan, brands and retailers will want to capitalise on the goodwill and excitement surrounding another Royal wedding. However, certain rules apply to businesses wishing to use images of the Royal family, or their associated symbols and phrases.

Famous movie stars and athletes earn big bucks beyond their day job at the studio or stadium. Their image can be used to in a variety of commercial contexts, ranging from endorsements and sponsorships, to merchandising and deals with fashion brands and magazines. Marketwatch reports that on average, signing a celebrity correlates to a rise in share prices, and a 4% increase in sales. After Chanel signed Nicole Kidman in 2003 to promote their N°5 perfume, global sales of the fragrance increased by 30%. Celebrities today spend a huge amount of time and energy developing and maintaining their public image. But here in the United Kingdom, "image rights" have never been clearly stated in law. So how do celebrities protect and control the publicity associated with their name, image, and brand?

Reviews are powerful marketing tools. From making dinner reservations to buying a new pair of shoes, I very rarely part with my hard-earned cash before checking out the ratings and comments online. I also follow quite a few restaurants, designers, photographers, and fitness bloggers on Facebook, and often see people leave reviews there, too. But what can a business actually do with those comments? And if you leave a review on a company's Facebook page, what are your rights over what you’ve written?