Subsection 2: Notification file

Articles in this section · 3

D261-3D261-4D261-5

Article D261-3

French Cinema and Moving Image CodeIn force
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Updated 8 Nov 2023

The notification to the Minister responsible for culture is accompanied by a file containing :

1° Identification of the transferring producer and the beneficiary of the planned operation ;

2° A detailed description of the planned operation, including the title of the cinematographic or audiovisual work(s) or the list of cinematographic or audiovisual works falling within the scope of the agreement provided for inarticle L. 132-27 of the Intellectual Property Code that are the subject of the operation;

3° The list of related technical elements;

4° The draft contract relating to the planned operation or, if the transferring producer is unable to provide it, any preparatory document attesting to the parties' intention to conclude the contract relating to this operation;

5° A detailed presentation of the measures that the beneficiary of the proposed operation will implement to seek the continued exploitation of the work or works transferred under conditions equivalent to those resulting from the application of the agreement provided for in article L. 132-27 of the Intellectual Property Code, in particular the human, technical, material and financial resources available to it for this purpose;

6° Any other additional information that the transferring producer or the beneficiary of the planned operation consider useful for examining the application;

7° A list of the information covered by the secrets protected by law, which the transferring producer considers may not be disclosed pursuant toarticle L. 311-6 of the Code of Relations between the Public and the Administration or which must be concealed pursuant to article L. 311-7.

When, in the cases mentioned in article R. 261-1, the operation having equivalent effect to a transfer is part of an overall operation, the detailed description of the planned operation and the draft contract relating to this operation mentioned respectively in 2° and 4° of this article only concern the part of the operation relating to cinematographic or audiovisual works.

The application may be submitted electronically.

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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