Blog Post

AAPA ANNOUNCES 4th ANTI-PIRACY AWARDS

AAPA

14 December 2021

The Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAPA) has announced the 2021 awards given to an individual or team from the public sector for a successful initiative which supports the fight against audiovisual piracy.

The winner of the 2021 award is the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) - European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights , and more specifically the Enforcement and SME Service team, led by Blanca Arteche, for its campaign and efforts supporting the reinstating of IP Crime in the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) . The Observatory team at the EUIPO embarked on an awareness-raising programme to win support and join efforts with the European Commission (DG HOME) and Member States (MSs) to have IP crime re-instated in EMPACT following its omission from the 2018-2021 cycle. The AAPA award for 2021 is given specifically to the Enforcement and SME Service team who also supported the awareness work undertaken by a coalition of private sector stakeholders. Had the campaign been unsuccessful IP crime would have remained in the law enforcement wilderness until 2025 at least.

Commenting on the award Sheila Cassells, Executive Vice President of AAPA, said: “The challenge faced by the Observatory team from the EUIPO should not be understated. Initially only a few MSs were willing to contemplate re-instating IP crime. The private sector coalition, of which AAPA was part, benefitted greatly from the advice and insight offered by Blanca and her team, reinforcing the value of the network which the Observatory represents. After the various stages were completed in May 2021 MSs agreed the priorities with IP Crime being included as a segment in the Fraud, Financial and Economic Crimes priority. This is a very successful outcome as it means there is money and other resources to take on operations, provide training, etc. to tackle audiovisual piracy – and countries recognise the importance of doing so. AAPA looks forward to supporting MSs and Europol in the implementation of the Operational Action Plans.”

AAPA also presented special recognition awards to Primo Dirigente Marcello La Bella and Sostituto Commissario della Polizia di Stato Davide Salvatore Centonze, Compartimento della Polizia Postale e delle Comunicazioni per la Sicilia Orientale for their work on Operation Black Out. Supported by Primo Dirigente Gabrielli Ivano and Ispettore Vito Cuscianna from the Servizio Polizia Postale e delle Comunicazioni the operation led to the closure of a major IPTV network responsible for around 80 percent of illegal IPTV supply in Italy. Operation Black Out was carried out by 200 specialists in 11 regions following an investigation into sellers on Telegram and other social networks. The network is believed to have generated around 15 million euros in revenue every month.

Commenting on the awards Mark Mulready, Co-President of AAPA and Vice President Cyber Services at Irdeto, commented that “We are delighted to recognise the commitment and success of the Polizia Postale e delle Comunicazioni in blocking access to such a major illegal IPTV network. The number of specialists and regions involved demonstrates the organisational and technical complexities involved in fighting such illicit activities which are increasingly accessible through social media networks. Activities such as Operation Black Out sends a clear message that piracy will not be tolerated.”

END

Notes to editors

About AAPA: AAPA ( www.aapa.eu) represents companies involved in the provision of protected audiovisual services, rights holders, security technology for such services, and the manufacturing of products which facilitate the delivery of such services. AAPA’s mission is to lead the fight against audiovisual piracy across Europe, the Middle East and beyond through effective lobbying, supporting law enforcement and building partnerships to better tackle piracy. For more information about AAPA’s work visit www.aapa.eu

The awards are the fourth to be given by AAPA. The award may be made to an individual or team working in law enforcement, including customs, market surveillance, the public prosecution service, international or national Government agencies or departments and regulatory bodies.

AAPA contact:

Sheila Cassells:

Sheila.cassells@aapa.eu

+44 7500 243 136

Miranda Rock

+44 7957 391 498

Rocket Launch for AAPA

Miranda@rocketlaunch.co.uk

< Older Post Newer Post >

AAPA Honours Law Enforcement Agencies with Annual Awards for Excellence in Copyright Enforcement

by AAPA • 19 December 2024

Date, Brussels, Belgium The Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAPA) is proud to announce the recipients of its annual awards, celebrating exceptional contributions by law enforcement agencies in combatting online piracy and protecting intellectual property in the audiovisual sector. This year’s honorees have demonstrated exemplary efforts in the investigation, enforcement, and dismantling of illegal content distribution networks that undermine the creative industries. The AAPA Annual Awards recognize agencies whose proactive strategies and collaborative actions have significantly advanced copyright enforcement online. These awards reflect the growing importance of international cooperation in addressing the evolving and sophisticated tactics used by piracy networks. Oliver Pribramsky, Co-President of AAPA , praised the recipients of the awards, saying: "We are honoured to recognise the outstanding work of these administrative and law enforcement agencies. Online piracy remains one of the most significant challenges facing the audiovisual industry, costing billions in lost revenue each year and threatening jobs across the sector. The dedication and innovation displayed by our award winners not only protect the industry but also reinforce the critical role that law enforcement plays in safeguarding intellectual property in the digital age." Award Recipients This year’s AAPA Awards for Excellence in Copyright Enforcement are presented to: 1. Lifetime achievement Award for Sheila Cassells: On behalf of all AAPA members and stakeholders from all spectrums of the industry, we would like to thank Sheila for her loyalty and friendship over the last 14 years where she transformed AAPA into the organisation it is today and honour her remarkable achievements and lifelong dedication to the fight against audiovisual piracy with this Lifetime Achievement Award.

AAPA MEMBERS JOIN FORCES WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE WORLD’S LARGEST-EVER OPERATION AGAINST AUDIOVISUAL PIRACY

by AAPA • 27 November 2024

The Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAPA) has supported the Catania Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Croatian State Attorney Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime and law enforcement agencies in Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Croatia and England in dismantling the world’s largest transnational criminal organisation alleged to be serving pirated audiovisual content to over 22 million users, and generating over 250 million euros in illegal revenue per month. The operation, conducted yesterday, was coordinated by Europol and Eurojust and involved over 270 officers from the Polizia Postale carrying out 89 property searches in 15 Italian regions. An additional 14 searches were conducted by law enforcement agencies abroad, including five addresses in England, and further searches and seizures in the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania, France, Bulgaria, Germany and Croatia. 11 people were arrested by the Cybercrime Division of the Croatian Police. During yesterday's searches, cryptocurrencies in excess of EUR 1,650,000 and cash in excess of EUR 40,000 were seized as alleged proceeds of the offences committed. These immediately seized proceeds represent only a fraction of an illegal business that is alleged to yield approximately EUR 3 billion per annum. Digital piracy harms the entertainment and creative industries across the continent and is often run by sophisticated criminal networks that may use their profits to fund other serious forms of criminal activity. At the same time, illegal streams can expose the end user to the risks of data theft, fraud and malware. Mark Mulready, Co-president of AAPA, said: “We applaud the efforts of the Catania Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Croatian State Attorney Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime, Europol, Eurojust, and all of the law enforcement agencies involved in these operations. The scale of these multi-jurisdictional law enforcement actions highlights the considerable challenge our industry faces when dealing with such sophisticated international pirate networks. We are proud to have collaborated with our law enforcement partners to provide technical training and in-field support to assist them in successfully tackling the world’s largest pirate network. We are very grateful to the AAPA members who supported this action day, including Premier League, Sky Group, Nagravision, Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL), beIN Sports, United Media, Friend MTS and Irdeto. We will continue to closely collaborate with law enforcement agencies in Europe and beyond to enable them to successfully identify, investigate and prosecute large-scale cross-border pirate networks.” ---------- AAPA contact: Mark Mulready +31651246415 Co-President AAPA Miranda Rock +44 7957 391 498 Rocket Launch for AAPA

Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance 2024-2029 EU Manifesto

by AAPA • 1 October 2024

The Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAPA) publishes its first Manifesto, linked here . The document aims to recognise past efforts of EU legislators when it comes to content protection and the fight against copyright infringement, whilst admitting that more can and should be done to address this growing issue. Miruna Herovanu, Executive Director of AAPA said : " After years of laying the groundwork to combat online piracy it’s time for EU policymakers and beyond to fully acknowledge that decisive, targeted measures are needed at the European level. The rise of digital theft demands action. We call for strong political resolve to end the theft of our members' content. We're ready to support every stakeholder—law enforcement, policymakers, and industry representatives—to dismantle criminal networks and protect European consumers from harm."

AAPA ANNOUNCES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

by AAPA • 28 May 2024

The Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAPA) has announced the appointment of Miruna Herovanu as its Executive Director. Miruna was previously the Director at the Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand in Europe in charge of Intellectual Property and Competition policies. She took up her position with AAPA on 27 May 2024 and will be based in Brussels. Miruna will replace Sheila Cassells who is retiring as Executive Vice President of AAPA and will report on a day-to-day basis to the two Co-Presidents, Mark Mulready, VP of Cyber Services at Irdeto and Oliver Pribramksy, Head of IP Protection and Committees at the Deutsche Fussball Liga. She will be responsible for the implementation of the strategy agreed by AAPA members, managing relationships with law enforcement agencies such as Europol, Eurojust, INTERPOL and the European Institutions, delivery of AAPA’s Working Group goals and general management of the Alliance. Mark Mulready said that: “We are delighted to appoint someone of Miruna’s calibre and experience to become the Executive Director of AAPA. Miruna’s commitment to copyright protection is well-known. Her knowledge of the Brussels institutions and the EUIPO will stand AAPA in good stead for future policy developments. A priority will be for Miruna to work closely with AAPA members, the EUIPO and the European Institutions to deliver on, inter alia, the goals of combatting online piracy of sports and other live events recommendation.” Miruna Herovanu commented that: “My professional experience demonstrated that piracy is an ever-growing issue that eats at the heart of Europe’s most important industries. This is a golden opportunity and a new professional challenge that will help further develop my passion for and commitment to protecting copyright. Being able to work with and support industry experts and practitioners in AAPA, law enforcement, the European Institutions and other trade associations is essential to the fight against piracy. I am excited to be taking on this role.”