HOW BBC WORLDWIDE TRADES

BBC Worldwide is committed to ensuring its activities are carried out to the highest possible standards, consistent with its core values and purposes, across the full range of fair trading, ethical, editorial, environmental and brand protection best practices.

Importantly, it is not just BBC Worldwide that aims for high standards. BBC Worldwide also encourages its commercial partners to do so through a range of clear guidelines, contractual commitments and training. BBC Worldwide monitors compliance with these requirements where appropriate.

The BBC brand

Protection of the BBC brand and its reputation is a fundamental part of BBC Worldwide's role in conducting its activities around the globe. These activities are carried out internationally through a mix of wholly owned activities, joint ventures and other forms of partnership with commercial entities. BBC Worldwide ensures that appropriate steps are taken in each case to ensure the BBC brand is grown and developed in ways that are entirely compatible with core BBC values.

Branding guidelines

BBC Worldwide ensures compliance with guidelines agreed with the BBC that lay out the values and principles associated with the BBC brand and determine the behaviour of the BBC brand in a commercial environment. There are set procedures for commercial use, which reflect the editorial principles associated with the BBC brand.

Brand protection

BBC Worldwide's brand protection team continue to work with local investigators and enforcement authorities to help control the market for counterfeit goods and other infringements of the Group and its partners' intellectual property rights.

The Far East is estimated to account for more than half of all fake goods and so BBC Worldwide's investigators in the region have to be extra vigilant in assessing counterfeit activity and taking preventive measures.

In the EU, BBC Worldwide has put in place a pan-European Customs registration that allows Customs authorities in all member states to seize imports of fake products using the BBC, Teletubbies, Tweenies, Fimbles, Doctor Who and In the Night Garden brands.

Editorial guidelines

The BBC's code of ethics is incorporated into its editorial guidelines and offers advice on standards and values including accuracy, impartiality, fairness, taste and decency and the welfare of children. These guidelines apply to all BBC Worldwide commercial activities and are strictly adhered to across all BBC Worldwide activities.

Magazines Editorial Boards

The system of Editorial Advisory Boards continues to be of great benefit to BBC Magazines and the editorial insights of the independent experts have proved helpful. The boards work alongside all BBC magazines and play a key role in ensuring that the portfolio reflects the BBC's public purposes and editorial values and extends the editorial offering of BBC programmes. The Editorial Advisory Boards are overseen by an Annual Review Panel (ARP), consisting of external experts and senior representatives from BBC Magazines, BBC Vision and BBC Audio and Music. It is chaired by the BBC's Chief Adviser, Editorial Policy.

The ARP conducted its second review of BBC magazine output during the course of 2006/07 (the first was completed in May 2006) and concluded that BBC magazines were high quality, attractive publications with high levels of reader satisfaction. The breadth and range of the portfolio was impressive and overall the magazines have strong editorial content with greatly improved connectivity with BBC television and radio programmes.

Customer service

BBC Worldwide's increasing success not only gives a global platform to the best of British talent but also delivers substantial financial returns to rights holders and producers.

Over half a million statements and cheques relating to BBC Worldwide's activities alone are issued annually to this group. BBC Worldwide is committed to accounting accurately and on time to contributors and producers. It is investing heavily to radically improve its systems and processes to enable them not only to meet the increase in volumes that its success has produced, but also to provide a vastly improved level of customer service.

Environment and ethical policy

BBC Worldwide is actively committed to minimizing any negative impact that its activities might have on the environment and seeks to conduct its business to the highest standards. See Business Overview for more information.