Paragraph 1: List of reference works

Articles in this section · 7

Article 311-29

French Cinema and Moving Image CodeIn force

Updated 7 Nov 2023


To be included on the list of reference works, audiovisual works must meet the following conditions:
1° Belong to the genres of fiction, animation, creative documentary and audiovisual adaptation of live performances;
2° Where works belong to the creative documentary genre and are inserted within programming slots devoted to the broadcasting of magazines other than those mentioned in 2° of Article 311-80, they must have a duration per unit work or per episode, greater than or equal to 45 minutes. <br/>When the works belong to the genre of audiovisual adaptation of live performances, they must meet the level of artistic and technical quality provided for in 3° of article 311-59 ; <br/>3° Have obtained prior authorisation and definitive authorisation; <br/>4° Have benefited from the initial contribution provided for in articles 311-8 and 311-9, at least equal to 25% of the final cost of the work or 25% of the French participation in the case of an international co-production;
This minimum proportion of the initial contribution is reduced to 15% for works in the animation genre and 20% for works in the creative documentary genre in the cases provided for in Article 311-10. <br/>For works belonging to the creative documentary genre, the hourly cash contribution from the television service publisher(s) or the hourly cash contribution from the on-demand audiovisual media service publisher(s) is greater than or equal to €12,000. <For works belonging to the genre of audiovisual adaptation of live performances, the hourly cash contribution from the television service provider(s) or the hourly cash contribution from the on-demand audiovisual media service provider(s) is greater than or equal to €20,000; <5° Have been broadcast or made available to the public during the previous year on a television service or on-demand audiovisual media service, for which the publisher meets the conditions laid down in 1° or 2° of article 311-8 and has contributed to the initial contribution mentioned in the same article, which was the first time they were broadcast or made available on this service. However, the works may have been accepted in their final version by the publishers of these same services, provided that this is duly completed and certified. Where a work has been financed through the joint contribution of several of the aforementioned service publishers, it will not be included on the list of reference works until its final version has been accepted, duly completed and certified, by all of these service publishers.</p>.

Mariela Petrova

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Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

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Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

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