AAPA’s Priorities for 2021

Four ways our 2021 priorities help fight piracy

2020 will forever be synonymous with lockdowns. COVID-19 turned our world upside down. With more people at home, entertainment saw a surge in viewing figures, so too did sports when allowed back on the pitch. However, legal services weren’t the only ones to benefit from the lockdown appetite for content. Pirate services did as well. Hadopi reported that in France 12m internet users consumed pirated content resulting in a loss to the rightsholders of over €1.03 billion and a loss of €332m to the French government. And that’s just France.

Like COVID-19, piracy is a global pandemic. The losses worldwide are in the multi-billions. Unfortunately, no vaccine can protect us from its effects. Staying 1.5 meters from your screen doesn’t cut it either. Yet, there are counter measures that can reduce its impact. This year, the Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAPA) focuses on four priorities around legislation, training and awareness, and the role of our Working Groups. All designed to maintain and boost the momentum in our fight against piracy.

At a high level, our 2021 priorities are:

1. Engaging with the European Institutions with a focus on the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act to achieve satisfactory outcomes for AAPA members
2. Building capacity within law enforcement to strengthen the fight against piracy, including a cybercrime perspective
3. Boosting the work of our Working Groups through greater representation and participation
4. Developing and implementing a communications plan

Let’s take a look at what this means in practice.

Engaging with the European Institutions

Not since the 2000 E-commerce Directive has there been such significant changes affecting the digital economy proposed for the European Union (EU). Together these acts aim to create a safer and more responsible digital space. AAPA is one of the many stakeholders who provide input as part of the EU’s consultation process. Our Policy & Regulation Working Group is taking the lead for us here. With members across the value chain from content owners, vendors and Internet Service Providers, you’d expect us to seek a pragmatic and reasonable solution that supports all the affected parties.

As the new set of rules may take a couple of years before they’re formally adopted – and we don’t know what will emerge at the end of the legislative process – and legally enforceable, we also need to progress initiatives that help today.

Building capacity within law enforcement

When we talk about capacity, our priority is to raise the understanding of the piracy threat and how to tackle it. The knowledge, skills and resources about piracy within law enforcement varies across the world. Combine that with piracy constantly evolving, and you can see why it’s critical to keep law enforcement teams globally up to date with the latest developments and current issues. How do we do that?

Primarily it’s through training and awareness. Over the years, AAPA has developed strong relationships with many law enforcement agencies, such as INTERPOL, Europol, and Eurojust. Working together, we provide e-modules like those at the International IP Crime Investigators College (IIPCIC) or take part in conferences, such as Europol’s March “In Our Sites (IOS) XII”, with other events planned. When travel becomes a reality again, presenting in person or providing bespoke training lets us share our knowledge, expertise, practical know-how, and importantly let’s law enforcement know where they can turn to for assistance.

Boosting the work of our Working Groups

At the heart of AAPA are our Working Groups. With monthly calls and dedicated effort required to move initiatives forward, Working Group is an apt title. There are Working Groups to suit all members, from Hosting Infrastructure, Disruption, Social Media, Policy and Regulation or Training and Awareness, to name them. We’ve found active participation, sometimes in more than one group, is key to making the real difference and that is what we are encouraging.

Developing and implementing a communications plan

Last but certainly not least, we aim to up our game on the communications front. After all, communication is the foundation for building awareness. You’ll see us sharing more and become more active on social media, such as LinkedIn. Why is this priority a focus?

Effective anti-piracy action requires close collaboration between Industry, Government and Law Enforcement. For us, the more we can all share and communicate, the better our overall collaboration in the fight against piracy will be. Help us spread the word. Keep a lookout for new posts on our website or social media channels and share them with your network.

To take a phrase form the COVID-19 pandemic “We’re in this together”.

Sheila Cassells
Executive Vice President

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