Terminology Change in Distribution Records on IMDbPro Platform

It has been determined that on IMDbPro, the professional platform of the world's largest cinema and television database IMDb, the term Israel has been replaced by Palestinian Territories and Occupied Palestinian Territories in some film distribution records.

Changes in the IMDbPro Database

A notable terminology change has emerged on the IMDbPro platform, which is prepared for professional users by IMDb, operating under Amazon. It was observed that the distribution region previously specified as Israel in some film distribution records is now shown as Palestinian Territories or Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The change in question is located in the distribution rights section, which shows which companies will distribute films worldwide, and is tracked through data in the film industry.

Uncovered by Haaretz

According to a report by the Israel-based publication Haaretz, it was stated that Israeli distribution companies were previously indicated as distributing their films in Israel, but recently these regions have been listed differently on some film pages.

The report also emphasized that, on the other hand, the term Israel continues to be used in some film and television series records, and a comprehensive name change has not been implemented across the entire platform.

Affected Productions and Companies

When IMDbPro records were examined, it was seen that the film titled The Black Ball was among the productions whose distribution region was changed to Palestinian Territories on the platform. It was determined that the distribution region in the record of the Spanish production, which was screened at Cannes, had been changed.

Additionally, while the distribution regions of the films Runner and Backrooms—for which the Israeli distribution company Red Cape acquired the rights—were listed in the same manner, similar situations were also encountered in some works belonging to other companies such as Lev Films and United King.

Companies' Reaction and the Development of the Process

While it is known that the designation Occupied Palestinian Territories was already used as a region in IMDb's general database, it was stated that the actual novelty is the inclusion of these phrases in the records of Israeli distributors.

While the relevant distribution companies stated that they were not aware of this listing and would take action regarding the matter, it is awaited with curiosity whether the IMDb management will make an official statement.