Blog Post

PRESS RELEASE: AAPA joint action sees convictions

AAPA

25th November 2013

The operator of the card sharing network hosted approximately 400 users and advertised his card sharing services through eBay in conjunction with the sale of specifically adapted decoders. An accomplice also sold subscriptions to the operator’s network in exchange for a percentage of the subscription fee.

On 14 November 2013, the criminal court of Dinant sentenced the network operator to 150 hours of community service (or a 6 months jail sentence) and ordered the forfeiture of his assets used for the infringement as well as the confiscation of EUR 111,139.25.

The accomplice was convicted by default to a deferred sentence of 4 months imprisonment, confiscation of assets used and an amount equivalent to EUR 2,135.

Commenting on the judgment Christine Maury-Panis, VP of AAPA and EVP and General Counsel of Viaccess-Orca said that “this conviction not only shows once more that the Belgian courts will impose criminal sanctions on those involved in audiovisual piracy it also demonstrates the benefits of AAPA members combining their expertise, resources and commitment to pursues effective enforcement action against pirates. The fact that the networks used were established not only in the EU but in Russia also re-affirms our commitment to work with our international partners to fight piracy on a global basis. Extending collaboration beyond AAPA members could also help to speed up the judicial process.”

In 2009, a number of members of the Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (then AEPOC), including platform operators, content providers and conditional access technology companies, combined to file a complaint with the criminal court of Dinant claiming damages from the persons responsible.

Early in 2010, the judicial police of Dinant raided the private house of the card sharing operator and seized the computers, cards, hard disks and a mobile phone used for the card sharing practices. It was established that since the start of the network in 2007, the operator had earned over EUR 100,000 from the illegal activities.

The investigative judge found links between card sharing networks in Belgium, France and Russia. The investigation also showed that the card sharing operator had filed false declarations of theft with pay-TV providers after the cards used for the card sharing network had been seized by the Belgian police.

The judgment is still subject to appeal.

Note to editors:

The case was filed in 2009 by members of AAPA’s predecessor association, AEPOC. The members involved are BSkyB, Irdeto, Liberty Global, NAGRA, NDS, Sky Deutschland, and Viaccess-Orca.

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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.”