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PRESS RELEASE: AAPA speaks at OHIM-Europol-Eurojust conference

AAPA

6th November 2014

The latest in a series of conferences organised by the EU Observatory on IP Infringements (managed by OHIM) and Europol, and involving Eurojust for the first time, brought together over 100 delegates from law enforcement agencies, including the police, prosecutors and customs bodies, as well as private sector stakeholders to discuss the challenges created by the increasing use of the internet for counterfeiting and piracy. The objective of this conference was to increase the awareness and understanding of public sector enforcement agents of internet piracy and to equip them with the knowledge and skills required to take effective enforcement action.

Addressing delegates AAPA members Mark Mulready from Irdeto and Andreas Rudloff from Sky Deutschland illustrated the additional threats posed by more ubiquitous access to higher broadband speeds throughout the world and the growing problem of illegal streaming of pay audiovisual media content which damages rights holders and pay TV companies. Mark Mulready explained to delegates that illegal streaming has overtaken card-sharing as the most prevalent form of audiovisual piracy. This is being driven not only by improved global broadband penetration and speeds, but also improvements in streaming technologies and the production of low cost OTT STBs, notably in China. Extensive research shows that over 90% of illicit STBs are manufactured in Shenzhen, China, but efforts to engage the Chinese authorities in enforcement action are hindered by apparent deficiencies in Chinese law. In many cases the boxes are pre-loaded with the software necessary to gain unauthorised access to pay audiovisual content, including hundreds of live sport, movie and thematic channels, and the content may be bundled with the purchase of the STB. The boxes are used to build further illegal streaming infrastructures throughout the world, including in Europe, where Irdeto’s investigations have shown that Spain is now an important hub for the sale and distribution of pirate OTT streaming content and services.

Noting that there are intrinsic similarities in card-sharing and illegal streaming – both being based on the use of the internet for criminal purposes and generally involving multiple geographical territories - Andreas Rudloff described why swift action is required in any investigation and enforcement activity. He highlighted a crucial element in any investigation as obtaining live forensic evidence and the steps needed to obtain this. “Follow the data” is an essential parallel activity to the “Follow the money” approach in a cybercrime world and specialised skills deployed in tackling cybercrime are required. Recognising that various elements of card-sharing or streaming infrastructure can be located in different jurisdictions harmonised implementation of laws and especially swift co-operation between enforcement agencies, and with the private sector, are essential to underpin the necessary cross-border enforcement action.

Sheila Cassells said that: “Training enforcement agents how to tackle internet piracy is an essential ingredient in improving the success rate of enforcement action. This is the second know-session organised by OHIM and its partners in which AAPA has taken part and we welcome the opportunity to share our members’ extensive knowledge and expertise with the public sector and other private sector stakeholders. AAPA will continue to develop its support for training through these and other initiatives. Responding to the problems posed by the supply of illicit STBs made in China we are engaged in a series of activities aimed at enforcement action and amending the law in China.”

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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.”