LONDON— IBC2025 is now open for registration, with the global media, entertainment and technology community set to gather at the RAI Amsterdam September 12 to 15 for the conference’s four-day exhibition and a three-day conference.

In announcing the opening of registration, the organizers also reported that industry leaders from ABC, Fremantle, ITV, NBCUniversal, Sling TV, YouTube, and Warner Bros. Discovery have been confirmed as speakers at IBC Conference.

“IBC2025 is primed to be the definitive event this year for a global industry undergoing profound change,” said Michael Crimp, CEO of IBC. “As new technologies reshape content production and delivery, we provide the opportunity for the entire global M&E industry to explore what’s next, connect with key players, and navigate the commercial and creative challenges ahead. With a growing innovation footprint, the industry’s best tech on show, and a world-class conference speaker line-up, IBC2025 will empower our community to shape the industry’s future.”

The organizers reported that IBC2025 will showcase advances in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), private 5G, immersive tech, dynamic ad insertion, cloud-native workflows, virtual production and sustainable production alongside forward-looking perspectives on the industry’s next wave of innovation.

In addition, the IBC2025 Conference will offer a full slate of keynotes, presentations and panels from speakers across the globe, sharing views and insights on the trends, issues and opportunities transforming M&E. Delegates to the conference will be able to make valuable connections and engage with other industry players in the private Delegate Lounge, where exclusive networking breakfasts, roundtables and other events will take place.

The conference will deliver a high-level program featuring senior decision-makers from across the global M&E sector. Confirmed speakers include:

• Damian Cronin, Chief Digital and Information Officer, ABC
• Jens Richter, Chief Executive Officer, Fremantle Media International
• Simon Farnsworth, Chief Technology Officer, ITV
• Monica Williams, Senior Vice President Digital Products & Operations, NBCUniversal
• Liz Riemersma, Vice President Strategy, Business Development & International, Sling TV
• Pedro Pina, Vice President, YouTube EMEA
• Avi Saxena, Chief Technology Officer, Warner Bros. Discovery

IBC2025’s show floor will feature nearly 44,000 square meters of space already booked across 14 halls, the organizers reported.

Returning exhibitors confirmed so far include Adobe, Amazon Web Services, Ateliere Creative Technologies, Avid, Blackmagic Design, Canon, Grass Valley, Microsoft, Riedel Communications, Ross Video, Samsung, Sony, Zattoo, and Zixi – representing a broad spectrum of technology leadership and innovation, from content capture to cloud delivery. New exhibitors include Baron Weather, Cachefly, Momento, NewBlue, OTT Solutions, Plain X, Raysync, and Remotly.

“We’re seeing strong momentum from across the market,” noted IBC Director Steve Connolly. “This year’s show will continue to bring together every corner of the global M&E industry under one roof — from visionary start-ups to the most established global media and technology brands. Both exhibitors and visitors know that IBC is where strategic conversations turn into partnerships, and where the industry’s next wave of growth is already taking shape.”

Hall 14 will be expanded as the show responds to surging demand in key areas and will include new special features as well as the return of the Accelerator Zone. Building on the success of previous years, the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme will present demonstrations of new collaborative projects offering fast-track solutions to real-world challenges the industry faces. Throughout the RAI, IBC2025 will feature a packed content agenda across the Showcase Theatre, the two Content Everywhere Stages and two new stages in Hall 14, which will all play host to presentations, panels, and live demos.

To register for IBC2025, visit show.ibc.org.

(Updated 3:15 p.m.ET to include FAA statement.) WASHINGTON—A federal court has struck down the Federal Aviation Administration’s drone registration rule. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today ruled in favor of John Taylor, a Washington, D.C. model aircraft enthusiast who challenged the FAA’s registration requirement in court.

“The 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act provides that the FAA ‘may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft,’ yet the FAA’s 2015 Registration Rule is a ‘rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft.’ Statutory interpretation does not get much simpler. The registration rule is unlawful as applied to model aircraft,” the ruling stated.

The FAA first opened up the web-based registration for model unmanned aircraft owners on Dec. 21, 2015. More than 300,000 drones were registered within the first month. Registration required information on the manufacturer, model and serial number, in addition to the owner’s physical and email addresses. Each $5 registration covered a single aircraft for a period of three years.

The agency expanded the registry in March of 2016 to include commercial drone operators, who had previously been required to obtain special FAA authorization. It is not clear if the ruling covers commercial operations since it implicitly states that, “Unmanned aircraft operated for recreational purposes are known as ‘model aircraft,’ and we will use that term throughout this opinion.”

In a statement issued Friday afternoon, the FAA said it was digesting the ruling:
“We are carefully reviewing the U.S. Court of Appeals decision as it relates to drone registrations. The FAA put registration and operational regulations in place to ensure that drones are operated in a way that is safe and does not pose security and privacy threats. We are in the process of considering our options and response to the decision.”

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, or AUVSI, issued the following statement regarding the court’s determination:

“AUVSI is disappointed with the decision today by the U.S. Court of Appeals to reject the FAA’s rule for registering recreational unmanned aircraft systems. A UAS registration system is important to promote accountability and responsibility by users of the national airspace, and helps create a culture of safety that deters careless and reckless behavior. We plan to work with Congress on a legislative solution that will ensure continued accountability across the entire aviation community, both manned and unmanned.”

The drone registry was conceived of by a task force set up by the FAA and the Department of Transportation, in an ongoing effort to safely integrate unmanned aerial vehicles into national airspace since the little quadcopter types started swarming the consumer market. According to a January 2017 forecast from the Consumer Technology Association, “Total drone sales are expected to reach new heights in 2017, topping 3.4 million units—a 40 percent increase—and $1 billion in revenue for the first time—a 46 percent increase.

“CTA’s forecast also delineates U.S. drone sales for units below and above 250 grams, the FAA’s division for mandatory drone registration: Drones below 250 grams are expected to reach 2 million units, and drones above 250 grams will sell 1.3 million units.”

The FAA adopted rules for unmanned aerial vehicles last June. The rules went into effect Aug. 29.

WASHINGTON—The Federal Aviation Administration is warning drone owners away from companies offering registration services. The FAA said it would announce the registration protocol within the next couple of weeks.

“Owners should wait until additional details about the forthcoming drone registration system are announced later this month before paying anyone to do the work for them,” the agency said.

The task force assigned to provide FAA Administrator Michael Huerta with recommendations on the registration process is still days away from delivering this information, the FAA said. It also said that at least one company had launched a drone registration service.

Huerta was said to have told the task force two weeks ago to provide guidance on a streamlined unmanned aircraft registration process, including which types of drones would need to be registered and which would not. The FAA said the task force was working on recommendations for a system similar to registering any newly purchased product with its manufacturer, as well as a minimum weight for unmanned aircraft that must be registered.