EU STUDY: TV PIRACY ACCOUNTS FOR ALMOST HALF OF ALL DIGITAL PIRACY

According to a new study by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the downward trend in piracy from previous years has reversed and started to rise again. Television content is the main target of digital piracy. The most commonly exploited content includes TV shows, series and on-demand films, anime, live sporting events and specialised sports channels.

The study Online Copyright Infringement in the European Union, a follow-up to the 2019 and 2021 study, focused on the consumption of infringing content in the 27 EU Member States, covering TV, music and film between 2017 and 2022. For the first time, the study also covered publications and software for desktop and mobile devices.

Copyright protection in the EU

In the EU, the general rule is that authors’ rights are protected during their lifetime and for 70 years after their death. The protection afforded by related rights lasts for 50 years after the publication of a performance, film or broadcast and 70 years for sound recordings or performances kept on sound recordings.

The economic aspects of copyright are complicated. They reflect trade-offs between the interests of creators, distributors, performers, and consumers. The general objective of the system is to ensure that creators and other right holders are adequately compensated, as without this it would be impossible to maintain a socially optimal level of creative activity. At the same time, there is a need to ensure wide public access to creative works.

Types of copyright infringement

By using copyright-protected works without the copyright holder’s permission, digital pirates commit copyright infringement and deprive creators of the profits they need to cover the high costs of producing their works. Copyright infringement can take many forms:

  • Infringement involving physical communication media:Illegal copies of optical discs (LD, VCD, DVD) and inexpensive copying using optical media and decryption software.
  • Online piracy: Unlicensed use of works on the internet to distribute and provide access to films, music, TV, software and publications to other internet users.
  • Signal theft:Receiving cable TV or radio system or satellite signals without authorisation or piracy through the supply to consumers of illegal cable decoders or satellite descramblers.
  • Broadcast piracy: On-air broadcasting of a programme, from a legitimate or pirate copy, without permission from the copyright holder.
  • Unauthorised public performance: An institution or commercial entity showing a programme to its members or customers without permission from the copyright holder.

Unauthorised access to online content includes streaming, downloading, ripping and torrenting. 58% of piracy in the EU occurs through streaming and 32% through downloading.

Digital piracy is a major problem, which is why it was the subject of the EUIPO’s study Online Copyright Infringement in the European Union, which analysed the illegal online consumption of copyright-protected TV, music, film, software and publishing content in EU Member States and the UK over the period 2017-2022. Let’s take a closer look at the evolution of TV piracy.

Current availability and offer of legal TV channels

Overall, the legal supply of TV channels, films and music has increased significantly in most EU Member States since 2018. The availability of TV channels has increased by around 2.5% in the EU.

However, developments vary considerably from country to country. According to the European Audiovisual Observatory, Italy has the highest number of TV channels in the EU, despite a decrease from 2,701 in 2018 to 2,274 in 2023. In the Czech Republic, the number of channels will increase from 1,310 in 2018 to 1,588 in 2023.

According to the study, TV content accounts for half of piracy

According to the study, TV content is the most common target of online piracy in the EU. It saw an increase in 2021, with the figure levelling off in 2022. In 2022, pirated TV content increased by 15%. Among the genres most often targeted by digital piracy, TV shows, series and on-demand films lead the list, followed by anime productions (series and films), live sporting events and dedicated sports channels. TV piracy accounted for almost half (48%) of all infringing access in the EU in 2022.

Among the types of TV piracy, streaming leads

The average number of accesses to TV content in the EU27 is around 5 per internet user per month, well below the 2017 level but 20% above the 2020 floor. By comparison, the total piracy figure was 7 accesses per internet user per month.

The structure of pirated TV content consumption is similar in most EU Member States, although in a few countries there are significant differences between them and between months.

Seasonally adjusted evolution of piracy in the EU27 (accesses per capita/month); Source: EUIPO

Streaming is by far the most common way of consuming pirated TV content, accounting for up to 95% of cases.

Average monthly accesses to TV per country, with split per access method (2022); Source: EUIPO

Desktops still have a slight edge

Access from desktops is still the most common way to exploit TV content, although the use of mobile devices is also on the rise. Desktop computers account for 50-60% of the total. The split between mobile and desktop piracy varies quite a lot from country to country.
As shown in the figure below, the Czech Republic is one of the countries where mobile devices are used for piracy (compared to other countries) to a low extent (61% desktops, 39% mobile devices). The use of mobile devices is lowest in Hungary (33%) and highest in Italy (49%).

 

TV piracy with breakdown per device type and country (2022); Source: EUIPO

The situation is complex and there are not many options

The phenomenon of internet piracy is a serious problem that requires a deeper understanding of the nature of piracy, the motives of pirates, socio-economic factors and the ways in which copyright works are illegally consumed.
The study Online Copyright Infringement in the European Union, conducted by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), provides important insights in this regard, which help stakeholders to understand the issue and can also be a starting point for public education, which could contribute significantly to addressing the problem.

Source: euipo.europa.eu

31. 10. 2023

ACE AND DAZN SHUT DOWN PIRATE INDIAN LIVE SPORTS SITE

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), working closely with the global sports streaming service DAZN, has shut down the live sports piracy site Watchwrestling.ai and its associated domains, which were being operated out of India.

ACE identified and confronted the site’s Uttar Pradesh-based operator, who transferred watchwrestling.ai and all associated domains to ACE. The sites now redirect to ACE’s “Watch Legally” page.

Over the past year, watchwrestling.ai and its associated domains have reached more than 253 million visits. Most of the traffic originated from the US, tUK, India, and Canada.
Commenting on the shut down, Jan van Voorn, executive VP and chief of global content protection at the Motion Picture Association and head of ACE, said: “The shutdown of watchwrestling.ai marks an important victory in our ongoing campaign against the piracy of live sports programmes.

“The use of piracy sites to view live sporting and pay-per-view events is impacting the sustainability of live event programming. Legal services provide premium entertainment content that is reliable and legal. Piracy funds crime groups and puts consumers at risk of malware infection. This case should serve as a warning to illegal piracy operators everywhere that their days are numbered”.

Ed McCarthy, COO of DAZN Group, which is a member of ACE, added: “DAZN has invested significant amounts in building a successful business around combat sports, helping fund the development of MMA and boxing, as well as providing the best quality content and service for fans.

“To continue to invest, DAZN has to be able to protect its intellectual property. The enforcement work ACE undertakes, as part of its joint Sports Piracy Task Force initiative, is a critical element of this work. It is particularly pleasing to see a criminal endeavour of this size being effectively tackled, and the positive outcome that potential subscribers will be redirected to legitimate providers of content such as DAZN”.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

27. 10. 2023

EU STUDY: DOWNWARD TREND IN ONLINE PIRACY REVERSED LAST YEAR

The Internet is a phenomenon that makes our daily lives easier. However, besides the positive aspects offered, it also has its darker side. The negative features undoubtedly include digital piracy, which is the subject of a new study, Online Copyright Infringement in the European Union.

History of the concept of piracy

The word ‘piracy’ has a distant Indo-European root. Originally, the word had a completely different meaning. It meant an attempt, an endeavour or an experience. The word ‘peiratos’ referred to a coastal sea warrior. The current meaning of “sea thief” is therefore not too far removed from the original meaning. In ancient times, pirates were also seen as violators of order. According to the society of the time, their main characteristic was that they did not respect any property ownership generally accepted by society.

It is not surprising that the term has come to be used figuratively to refer to the theft of intellectual property, which now takes many forms. One of these is digital piracy, associated with the illegal use and dissemination of copyrighted content via storage and streaming platforms.

Negative impact on creators’ profits and content quality

Online piracy has a significant negative impact on creators and the entertainment industry, depriving them of the revenue needed to offset the high costs of production, whether it is for series, films, music, software, or publications. Another major problem is that illegal distribution undermines the quality of content. Pirated copies often do not provide the same quality and security, which affects the whole industry – and especially end users who are at risk of malware and poor-quality content.

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has been dealing with the phenomenon of online piracy for a long time and has recently published a new study entitled Online Copyright Infringement in the European Union. The study focused on the analysis of illegal online consumption of protected TV, music, film, software and publishing content in EU Member States and the UK over the period 2017-2022. One of the points of the study was the general evolution of piracy.

General development of piracy since 2017

The last report concluded by saying that online piracy has slowly declined over the years until the end of 2020. According to this year’s study, piracy declined continuously from 2017 until early 2021, when the positive trend reversed. This is true not only for the European Union as a whole but also for most Member States. In 2022, piracy (in EU27) accounted for around 7 accesses per internet user per month. The good news is that this is still low compared to the peak level in March 2017.

Share per type of content in the total piracy

There are clear differences between individual types of digital piracy. The share of TV piracy has increased over the years, from around 59% to 73%, while the share of music piracy has decreased from 20% in 2017 to 9% in 2022. The share of film piracy has seen a slight decrease from 20% to 18% over the same period. The shares of each type are shown in the figure below.

 

Source: EUIPO

Annual piracy rate per capita: music content deviates from the trend

The total annual piracy rate per capita (i.e. the value for all content types) was -17.5% in 2018 and, after a continuous further decline during 2019-2021, it saw an increase of +13.3% in 2022. This overall growth rate of +13% is mainly driven by TV piracy, although film piracy has also contributed, albeit to a lesser extent.

The most significant decline in the annual per capita piracy rate for all types of content occurred in 2020, after which the decline moderated and then reversed in 2022.

Television content saw a decline in the annual per capita piracy rate of -10.7% in 2018, a slightly smaller decline of -9.1% in 2019, another significant decline of -22.9% in 2020, -6.9% in 2021, and a significant increase in the total per capita piracy rate is evident in 2022, with the study indicating +15.3%.

The annual per capita piracy rate for film was -20.3% in 2018, the decline continued at a more moderate pace in 2019, ending at -11.0%, the decline was even more pronounced in 2020 at -28.3%, and slowed to -18.0% in 2021. In 2022, the tide turned, and film content saw an increase of +17.2% in terms of annual per capita piracy rate.

Music content bucks this trend. It is the only type of content that has not seen a reversal in 2022. In 2018, there was an apparent significant decline of -34.5%, and this decline increased in subsequent years. It was -36.6% in 2019, -37.9% in 2020, only -3.7% in 2021, and the annual per capita piracy rate fell by a further -6.0% in 2022.

For publications and software, only 2022 values are available and are +37.1% for publications and +10.7% for software.

Piracy was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic

According to the results of the study, 2020 and 2021 showed significant deviations from all other years, albeit in different directions. While the start of the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with a 21% drop in piracy, the second quarter of 2021 showed an overall increase (for all content types) of more than 8%.

Comparison of access from desktops and mobile devices

The difference between a mobile and a desktop device is based on the operating system that connects to the pirate website. These devices can be mobile phones, tablets or other devices with a mobile operating system.

The results of the study showed a clear tendency to consume pirated music and publishing content on mobile devices, while in the case of access to TV, users prefer to access from desktops, although access from mobile devices is also significant. The overall ‘balance of power’ between mobile devices and desktops can be seen in the figure below:

Total 2022 EU27 piracy proportion per type of content, with split per device; Source: EUIPO

It is clear that over time, there has been a noticeable shift in favour of mobile devices. The trend observed from 2017 to mid-2020 shows a more significant decline in desktop piracy compared to piracy on mobile devices. However, the decline in piracy on mobile devices continued until the end of 2020. This can be attributed to the measures and lockdowns put in place by Member States during the crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in people spending more time at home. The current situation seems to be very similar to the situation in 2017.

Differences in the type of pirated content and total consumption by country

Both the type of pirated content in individual countries and the total consumption of pirated content per internet user show considerable variation between Member States. The total number ranges from around 25 accesses per internet user per month in Estonia to around 7 in Germany. The four countries with the highest piracy rates are Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Cyprus, while the lowest rates are in Germany, Italy and Poland. The Czech Republic is roughly in the middle with 43% of TV piracy, 10% of software piracy, 32% of publishing piracy, 6% of music piracy and 9% of film piracy.

 

Source: EUIPO

Source: euipo.europa.eu

23. 10. 2023

FORUM MEDIA CONFERENCE HAS PUBLISHED ITS PROGRAMME

In just three weeks Forum Media – the largest conference in the Czech Republic focused on media, marketing and communication – will take place. Check out the full programme, it’s worth it!

More than 70 international and Czech stars of communication, marketing and media will perform at Forum Media on 9 November in Prague’s O2 universe on five stages. “This year, we have managed to attract a truly diverse mix of speakers and topics to Prague not only on two international stages, but also on three additional separate stages with a full-day specialist programme. In addition to the expansion of the Effie stage and the Market Tools stage for the whole day, we are also opening a stage for smaller thematic workshops again after last year’s success,” adds Forum Media Conference Programme Director Vladimír Bystrov.

You can take a look at the programme of the 23rd edition of the largest industry conference in the Czech Republic, as well as download it in PDF, here, it’s worth it!

Forum Media is organised by Marketing & Media magazine in cooperation with the most important industry associations. The Association of Communication Agencies (AKA) and the Association of Public Relations (APRA) traditionally participate in the programme, and this year the Association of Commercial Television (AKTV) has also been added.

The five stages, whose speakers can be found in the published programme, will be divided as follows: the MAM Stage will feature the best of marketing and media, the Effie Stage will provide inspiration with data and effective projects, the PR Summit will provide an overview of communication trends, workshops and panel discussions await you in the Market Insight Hall, and the Market Tools Stage will feature experts focusing on marketing tools with examples of successful brands.

The MAM editorial team is looking forward to seeing you on 9 November!

Source: mam.cz

19. 10. 2023

PRIVATE MEDIA AT ONE TABLE: THE MAJOR AMENDMENT WILL DAMAGE THE WHOLE MARKET

Representatives of Czech private media gathered for the first time at a joint press conference. They are appealing to the Minister of Culture over the draft of a major Media Amendment.

Representatives of the private media sector are calling on the Minister of Culture to first discuss the role of the public media service before making changes to the draft of the so-called major media amendment. Without the discussion, it is impossible to specify how much funding Česká televize (Czech Television) and Český rozhlas (Czech Radio) need for their activities. This is the result of a joint press conference, which for the first time brought together representatives of all the main domestic private media professional associations across media types.

Specifically, the following organisations were represented: the Association of Commercial Television (AKTV) whose members include TV Nova and TV Prima, the Union of Publishers on behalf of press publishers, the Association of Private Broadcasters (APSV) representing commercial radio companies, the Internet Development Association (SPIR) and the Association of Online Publishers (AOV) representing online media operators.

They stressed that they were in favour of preserving public service media in the Czech media environment but were surprised by the way Culture Minister Martin Baxa (ODS) approached the drafting of the amendment. Therefore, they again called on him to revise the amendment.

According to Prima’s CEO, Marek Singer, representatives of the commercial sector have already used all options to enter a debate with the Ministry of Culture on the wording of the laws. “This statement of the private media is an ‘emergency brake’. We firmly believe that this is a public appeal, it should be of interest to the Election Committee and the Parliament,” he said.

Representatives of private media did not want to specify their ideas on the amount of the fees. They stressed that the setting of the fees must be based on the definition of the current role of the public service. They do not want advertising money for the private and public sectors to be mixed and therefore oppose advertising and sponsorship on ČT.

WHAT WAS SAID AT THE JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE

Marek Singer, CEO of TV Prima

  • It is not true that the commercial television companies were consulted about the amendment. That would have been the correct process. Moreover, there is a successful precedent – the amendment to the Audiovisual Act.
  • The proposed amendment will affect all commercial media. It poses a risk in terms of European law. The absolute lack of specification of what the money should be used for may raise concerns about unauthorised public aid.
  • We have heard from Petr Dvořák, former CEO of ČT, for many years that he needs about CZK 300 to 500 million more. However, in a few months, this is an extra CZK 1.5 billion, without specifying what the money will be used for. You cannot write a blank cheque and then wait to see what it is spent on. Now is the time to discuss the role of the public service media.

 

Daniel Grunt, CEO of TV Nova

  • It is not true that the increase in fees makes up for the situation where there has been no increase in fees since 2008. Commercial television was hit hard by the economic recession in 2009 when the entire advertising market fell by one-third and it has lasted almost until now while ČT has operated with a generous pre-crisis budget.
  • The new definition of a licence fee payer introduces a mobile phone tax. This may be addressed more elegantly through a specific approach to the iVysílání online service, which is also something ČT’s new CEO wants to do.
  • There is a real fear of destabilising the entire media market. ČT operates with a relatively significant production budget. Any increase in the budget will restrict production capacity, substantially increasing the prices of all production activities.
  • We perceive the preservation of advertising and sponsorship on Czech Television as problematic.

 

Jiří Hrabák, CEO of Rádio Impuls, Radio Section of APSV

  • Czech Radio’s revenues are now double those of the entire private radio market, while the reach of listeners attributable to Czech Radio and the private sector is 27% and 73%, respectively. This shows the economic ratio in the whole radio broadcasting.
  • We are not declaring war on public radio. It is more of a fight with a certain arrogance of the Ministry of Culture. A year ago, Minister Baxa stated emphatically that the licence fee would not be increased, and after a year he changed his mind without giving any justification. We have not seen any economic analysis or information on what the money is to be used for. The process should have been the other way around.
  • In 2023/2024 it is time for the public service debate to begin in the Czech Republic. The public service media has a role to play in our space, but we need to look again at what role it should play, and we need to see if we can specify what public service is. What resources they are supposed to use, and how many programmes they are supposed to have. There is also the issue of competition. In radio, it is manifested in competition for listeners, we also compete for advertising (in limited quantities), and we are together in the labour market, which we have felt more intensively in recent years. We are in the same job market as the public media. With the estimated increase of CZK 600 million in ČRo’s budget, we have no chance to compete for any job position. Secondarily, we also compete in the marketing and media partnership market.

 

Daniel Sedláček, CEO of Media Bohemia

  • In terms of overall market share, our media group is similar to Czech Radio; we have 300 to 400 people, half of whom are salespeople, which ČRo does not have. The discussion about the increase should have been preceded by an audit of the financial management system. We achieve the same share as ČRo with 20% of the staff and 20% of the costs. One has to ask, is the service delivered by ČRo so valuable and different from the service we provide?
  • The transposition of the German media law also deals with the financial management of public service media and stipulates that the same thing should not be produced at a much higher cost. This should concern us before the question of fee increases is raised.
  • For me, the amendment is a call from the public service media: give us money, we don’t know what for yet, but we want to keep our influence. The media market is changing, mobile phones are not involved by chance, but my children have never tuned into ČT or ČRo on them.

 

Michal Hanák, Chairman of the Executive Board of SPIR, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mafra

  • The amendment also fundamentally affects online, which the ministry probably does not think. Licence fees were originally created to help with the dissemination of a specific programme in a limited environment. However, the online environment is not like that at all. In the free market, we find public service media competing with us not only for listeners or viewers but also for staff and advertising revenue.
  • We are concerned that the amendment expands exemptions for online advertising and does not attempt to define what the money will be used for. ČT also produces online content that is not delivered in linear broadcasting but is only used on the internet. Unequal competition deserves professional discussion, it is not a philippic against Czech Television and Czech Radio. We wish to have a confident public service media, but presenting bills in secret does not help.

 

Libuše Šmuclerová, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Union of Publishers, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of CNC

  • None of us can remember a lineup across media types coming together at one table. Numerous reasons for this are common to all of us. None of us want to question the role of the public service media in any way but the amendment on the table has a number of flaws. The role of ČT and ČRo is treated very narrowly in the draft amendment but in fact, it has implications in other sectors. It is not just about linear or terrestrial broadcasting but also about online.
  • If we want ČT and ČRo to be good managers, there must be a discussion about what the requirements are for public service media in a given media type. As no requirements have been defined, they cannot be specifically fulfilled. What is the concept that we are going to implement? What are the requirements and concepts?
  • The third question is what the public service media will use the funding for. The standard lawmaker should look at the whole market, which has not happened. That is why we want there to be a debate and we want limits to be set and basic obligations to be imposed on the public service media.

 

Ondřej Neumann, Association of Online Publishers, Editor-in-chief of Hlídací pes.org

  • The expansion of ČT and ČRo into online platforms is a potential risk and a big warning for the future. On the internet, both public service media are producing specific programming, competing with us and displacing us. There is a need to define what a public service is and how much it is needed on the internet. Media pluralism must be preserved.

You can read the full text of the joint statement of the private media organisations in the file below.

2023 10 17 Joint Statement FINAL

The major media amendment includes the proposed changes to the Act on Czech Television, the Act on Czech Radio, and the Act on Radio and Television Fee, which aim to increase the television and radio fees to CZK 160 per month for Czech Television and CZK 55 per month for Czech Radio. The proposed changes also include a new definition of the licence fee payer and the application of the fee to users of smartphones or other devices for receiving content. Last week, the inter-ministerial comment procedure on the amendments to the Acts on Czech Television, Czech Radio and Licence Fees ended, and after its settlement, the proposal will go to the government and the Chamber of Deputies.

Professional associations have already taken a negative stance on the draft amendment after it was announced. Shortly after the announcement of the draft amendment at the beginning of September, the Association of Commercial Television (AKTV) said it was demanding its withdrawal from the legislative process. AKTV said that it was unacceptable that it had not been invited to the discussions on the wording of the amendment and that in its current version, the draft undermined the stability of the media sector. The professional associations including the Union of Publishers, SPIR and APSV, representing the private radio sector, have also joined the calls for withdrawal. The Association of Online Publishers (AOV) adds that in view of the new European Media Freedom Act, it demands that conditions be created for the functioning of a pluralistic media market and that fair conditions of competition be set in the online environment.

The press conference can be viewed here.

Source: mediaguru.cz

17. 10. 2023

FACT AND SKY IN JOINT ACTION AGAINST ILLEGAL IPTV PROVIDERS

FACT and Sky are working with regional Police forces to target illegal IPTV service providers across the UK.

The two organisations have identified several operators who have been providing illegal access to premium TV and movies including Sky channels.??The operators were subsequently issued with legal warnings delivered in person, by post, and by email.

The ‘cease-and-desist’ notices instruct those running the services to immediately stop their illegal streaming activity otherwise risk facing criminal prosecution.

Addresses across the UK were visited in person, from London, Dorset, Cambridgeshire, West Midlands, North Midlands, Greater Manchester and to one address in Scotland. While many more notices were emailed or posted.

Over a three-week period, FACT and Sky delivered 47 legal notices. This has led to most of the illegal services being taken down, and advertising removed.

The use of cease-and-desist measures has proven to be a highly effective means of disruption. Just last week, the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) arrested a 32-year-old man from Ipswich who had previously received a cease-and-desist notice from FACT for unlawfully selling IPTV subscriptions. A thorough investigation conducted by FACT revealed that this individual had persisted in offering an illegal streaming service to customers. This individual is now facing further investigation and possible criminal action.

This action follows several recent initiatives designed to tackle illegal streaming, including the granting of a new blocking order awarded to Sky and significant enforcement action across Ireland.

Kieron Sharp, CEO at FACT commented: “Illegal IPTV service providers are breaking the law and putting consumers at real risk of malware, data compromise, and identity theft. Consumers who pay for pirate services should also know that they are often funding serious organised crime groups”.

“FACT and Sky remain committed to disrupting these criminal operations and protecting consumers from the many dangers of illegal streaming”.

Matt Hibbert, Director of Anti-Piracy UK and ROI, at Sky said, “We understand the power of working with our partners to tackle the issue of illegal streaming, and we’re grateful to FACT and law enforcement for their support.

“At Sky we are passionate about protecting our content while ensuring consumers can enjoy the content they love, free from risks that illegal streams can pose”.

A new consumer campaign, BeStreamWise.com has also launched across the UK and Ireland. The campaign was formed in partnership with key bodies across the sports, film, and TV industry and is designed to help viewers understand the personal risks of streaming illegally and identify safer options to enjoy their favourite content.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

16. 10. 2023

EU STUDY: TV CONTENT IS THE MOST FREQUENT TARGET OF DIGITAL PIRACY IN THE EU

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has published a new study entitled Online Copyright Infringement in the European Union. The research, a follow-up to the 2019 and 2021 studies, focused on the consumption of copyright infringing content in the 27 EU Member States, covering TV, music and film between 2017 and 2022. For the first time, the study also looked at publications and software for desktop and mobile devices.

Copyright infringement is a serious problem in today’s digital age, which is rife with technology. The proliferation of the internet has greatly facilitated access to many copyright works and enabled the virtually uncontrolled distribution of copyrighted content through repositories and other platforms whose operators benefit from inadequate legislation. Moreover, illegal behaviour on the Internet has been strongly encouraged by the period of the covid pandemic and related lockdowns.

GROWING PROFIT LOST

The music, television and film entertainment industry is a highly dynamic environment. Companies operating in this sector have had to adapt. They have developed new business models to be able to attract new clients, retain existing customers and ensure their competitiveness in a rapidly evolving market. The production of copyright works is by no means a cheap affair and creators need to offset the high costs involved through profits. However, they are losing these because of piracy.

Moreover, providing access to copyrighted content often involves resource-intensive activities. Pirates can use sophisticated methods to avoid identification and resist or quickly recover from enforcement actions against their services.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Dealing with the phenomenon of Internet piracy is not easy. Indeed, it has evolved alongside technology and is often one step ahead. It is crucial to understand how piracy occurs so that adequate measures can be taken to curb it. That is why the study Online Copyright Infringement in the European Union, carried out by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), was created.

Its main objective was to analyse the illegal online consumption of protected TV, music, film, software and publishing content in EU Member States and the UK over the period 2017-2022. The new research builds on a study published in 2021, which was based on data from 2017-2020, and unlike that previous study is broader. It includes software and publishing content, and a new section on piracy at live events has also been added.

More here: euipo.europa.eu

13. 10. 2023

ACE SHUTS DOWN LATIN AMERICAN PIRACY RINGS

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) has shut down two of Latin America’s largest and most visited Spanish-language piracy rings.

The collective domains – Futbolparatodos.online and Pelisplus.Lat – illegally streamed live sports and a vast library of video content, drawing a combined 150 million monthly visits.

Futbolparatodos, one of the most visited sports piracy sites after the 2022 shutdown of Futbolibre, had a network of more than 20 domains, while Pelisplus.lat recently ranked fourth in Q1 2023 and third in Q2 2023, among the top 25 most visited illegal services in Spanish language.

Commenting on the development, Jan van Voorn, executive VP and chief of global content protection at the Motion Picture Association and head of ACE, said: “Thanks to a tireless worldwide effort involving law enforcement and judicial authorities in several Latin American countries, as well as regional and global ACE teams, two of the most nefarious illegal streaming services in LATAM no longer exist.

“Copyright infringement knows no borders and impacts ACE members regardless of where in the world the operation is based and in what language the pirated content is being streamed. Today’s action is evidence of ACE’s ever-increasing momentum in the LATAM region”.

The domains will be transferred to ACE’s “Watch Legally” page.

ACE is the world’s leading coalition dedicated to protecting the dynamic legal market and reducing digital piracy.

The current governing board members for ACE are Amazon, Apple TV+, NBCUniversal, Netflix Studios LLC, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Paramount, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, and Warner Bros. Charles Rivkin is chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and chairman of ACE.

Zdroj: broadbandtvnews.com

12. 10. 2023

MAN JAILED FOR SELLING STREAMING STICKS WITH UNLICENSED PREMIER LEAGUE COVERAGE

A man who sold streaming sticks capable of receiving pirated Premier League matches has been jailed for two and a half years.

58 year old Steven Mills from Shrewsbury was convicted following a joint investigation by the Premier League, West Mercia Police, and anti-piracy organisation FACT.

Mills ran the organisation via a closed Facebook group and claimed to have more than 30,000 subscribers. In June, he pleaded guilty to multiple fraud offences at Shrewsbury Crown Court.

He was also convicted of a separate offence for watching the illegal content that he was supplying to others, with the court recognising that his own use of the unauthorised service was a distinct crime in itself. Mills received a separate prison sentence for this offence.

Kevin Plumb, Premier League General Counsel, said the Premier League was aware of the use of the sticks for distributing unlicensed content.

The service provided customers with a bespoke app and streaming devices, including the sticks to view a wide range of sport and entertainment content. Mills took significant steps to disguise his activity from detection including posting bundles of cash to suppliers and operating under a number of aliases.

In his sentencing remarks the judge in the case commented on the sophistication of the operation. The judge highlighted the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and recorded tutorial videos which supported his customers to access the illegal content.

Trading under the names Pikabox and Eyepeeteevee, the organisation received more than £1 million over five years. The service was primarily provided to UK-based customers and was also sold to a network of resellers, who are currently under investigation.

Kieron Sharp, CEO of FACT, added:

“FACT are proud to have supported the Premier League in this major investigation. This successful outcome would not have been possible without the collaboration and support of West Mercia Police and GAIN. FACT are committed to safeguarding the broadcast rights of our partners and we hope that the severity of the sentence sends out a clear message that piracy is a crime that is taken very seriously by the courts.”

The enquiry and subsequent raids by police provided intelligence which identified more than 1,000 of his customers. In January this year police and FACT officials visited a number of those individuals, serving notices to cease illegal streaming activities with immediate effect.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

11. 10. 2023

MEDIA CLUB TO INCREASE TV ADVERTISING PRICES BY 22% IN 2024 AND CHANGE TARGET AUDIENCE

The price of TV advertising on stations represented by Media Club will increase by at least 22% next year. The basic target group is also changing to 18-69.

A noticeable increase in the price of TV advertising for 2024 is also confirmed by the second of the leading players in the domestic commercial market. Media Club, which sells TV advertising space for the channels of Prima Group, Barrandov, Óčko and other thematic stations, will increase advertising prices by an average of 22% next year. Media Club presented its business policy for 2024 on Wednesday afternoon.

“Media Club is performing well but there is an outflow of viewers in the TV market and overall viewership is down by about 15%. In September, we failed to place about 20% of demand and we have to respond to that. That is why we have to increase the prices, but we also want to be efficient and innovative,” said Media Club’s head of advertising sales, Jan Makal.

The highest CPP increase is again for higher client volumes. Footage and seasonal coefficients increase – for 30-second spots the index increases to 1.05. Media Club thus wants to encourage clients to use shorter spots. Seasonal coefficients are increased, especially in the second half of the year. The off-prime-time coefficient is also higher.

A new feature compared to the current Media Club trading is the change in the sales target group from the current 15-69 to 18-69. For eGRP, which Media Club plans to strengthen for next year, it will use the 15-54 target group.

Clients with a budget of over CZK 10 million will have a new obligation to specify the distribution of GRPs of campaigns within the calendar year and an obligation to invest in other media channels (i.e. sponsorship, product placement, online without eGRP, HbbTV, etc.) depending on the client’s budget. Clients must guarantee a certain amount of investment in other media channels in order to reach the relevant CPP (see the table below).

There are also 10% surcharges for late booking and placement on premium shows.

For 2024, one Media Club bundle will remain on all TV stations represented by Media Club. The distribution of individual channels is optimised by Media Club according to the current performance of the represented channels and demand.

Sales policy of Media Club for 2024

Source: Media Club

Source: Media Club

Zdroj: Media Club

Source: Media Club

Clients who make a 2024 commitment by 1 December 2023 will be subject to an off-prime-time index of 0.90 and a prime-time index of 1.05. For commitments made by 12 January 2024, the prime-time index will be applied at 1.05 and the off prime-time index at 0.95.

Media Club’s stations recorded a market share of 30.24% in the 15-69 audience group in the first nine months of this year (source: ATO-Nielsen, all day). With Atmedia stations, Media Club’s share increases to 36.08%. In both cases, they were the strongest entity in the all-day advertising market. In the new 18-69 target group, Media Club’s all-day share was 35.49% this September.

In its business policy for 2024, TV Nova expects the price of TV advertising to increase by 18%.

Source: mediaguru.cz

11. 10. 2023

CZECHS LIKE CRIME SERIES AND GOOD STORIES, SAYS NOVA’S PROGRAMMING DIRECTOR

The best time managers are mothers, laughs Silvia Majeská, mother of triplets and Programming Director of Nova and Markíza TV groups. What do the Czech viewers look like and what are they interested in? And what will Voyo focus on?

Last year, Nova TV ranked first in the ratings for young viewers, but it has been stagnating for a long time. In recent years, it has struggled to maintain its lead over its rival Prima but both commercial TV groups are slightly behind the public Czech Television in overall ratings.

One of the steps that could bring Nova back to its former television prominence was the election of a new Programming Director, Silvia Majeská. When she joined the station more than two years ago, Nova was undergoing a digital transformation.

What changes were involved?

We launched primarily our streaming pay platform Voyo, which was the initial vision for the whole transformation. We expanded the development team, ramped up production, and started building a product proposition for Voyo Originál, which saw us bring out eleven feature series or miniseries in about twenty months.

But we are also going digital internally: we are trying to automate processes and incorporate new technologies that will make our work easier.

Previously, TV viewers had only a few channels and one platform. How does television work today?

Things have changed dramatically since I started working in the television environment. We used to deal with physical videotapes on which we screened films, then DVDs came along, followed by the digitisation of whole material libraries, these were huge changes.

Before that, one had turned on the TV and had the same programme set as the night before. Nowadays, most people have a smart TV, they turn it on, they have apps… It is a completely different way of consuming content, with more use of mobiles and tablets.

A couple of years ago, we launched secondary stations to support the multi-channel environment and give viewers a choice. But people are still looking for a source of entertainment and they like good content. They like to watch good stories, that is not changing.

And do you think a classic TV can cope with it?

I think there will always be room for it. Of course, we can debate what target audience will watch linear TV providing more passive entertainment – that is, when I turn on the TV, a show will pop up and I either like it or switch to another one.

Video platforms provide an active style of viewing, one has to make a deliberate choice. And we know from global surveys that many consumers of content in the digital world struggle to navigate the content on offer and choose something for themselves. Classic TV will always have its place, depending on the mood of the viewer.

What makes Nova specific?

We have the strongest news service, the strongest daily series with a long tradition and our regular shows. We are the biggest and most successful reality show producer and we set the trends in a way. I dare say we currently have most of the local premium content.

One of my main goals when I joined was to strengthen Nova’s market position, increase the volume of projects in development, strengthen the thematic stations of Nova Group and launch a content strategy for Voyo. We have already come a long way in this respect and the results speak for themselves.

We have fourteen creative producers working under the direction of Michal Reitler who is excellent, so I think we are booming in that respect. There are a lot of shows being made and it is really great that we are pushing genres that were not on the air before.

Such as?

This year, for example, we aired the new series Sex O’Clock on Voyo. It is a bit of a cheeky show for youngsters and for parents who want to give their teenagers a sneak peek. We have also started to produce reality-inspired crime series, which is another genre we had not covered before. We are developing documentary series, and we are also going to strengthen the journalism section.

How do you compete with giants like Netflix and Amazon?

We are local, that is our advantage and that is what we focus on. We want to bring the best local content to our viewers, in the local language. We understand the environment in which our viewers live, and we understand them and their interests. We know the historical and cultural context.

You mentioned the genre of crime series. Are those attractive for Czech viewers?

We can see from the viewing figures that the Czechs like crime series very much, and that is why we are devoting a lot of attention to them. That was apparent last autumn when we launched the final season of the series Modrava – it had fantastic numbers. So did Specialisté.

Do Czech and Slovak viewers differ?

Each country has its own specifics. Slovak viewers seek strong emotions, whether through reality shows or fiction content. On the other hand, the Czech viewer is more focused on internal logic. They look for it in the story, it has to make sense and be believable. For the Slovak viewer it is not so essential. Nor is the popularity of crime series the same.

How has the Covid pandemic affected TV ratings?

Compared to 2019, the number of viewers has increased significantly. As everyone was at home, it was natural. We are now back to pre-Covid values.

It is obvious that, in particular, the young generation is responding strongly to the coming changes in viewing patterns. On the other hand, the middle and older generation finds linear TV a more convenient choice, perceiving its benefits in passive viewing.

Has the demand for longer programmes changed?

During the Covid-19 period, most of the demand was for news coverage. People were looking for information, they needed to hear what was going on and what the latest government regulations were. We have adjusted our broadcasts to include live news programmes, which is generally a big benefit of linear TV: we can respond immediately, and we are flexible and relevant to a large number of viewers at once.

You are Programming Director of both Nova and Markíza. How does it go together?

The work principle is the same – how to set up the structure, how to lead the process of preparing programmes… Each TV group has a different programming strategy, and a different number of stations but they also have a lot in common in terms of functioning. We are working on several original projects that the TV groups are producing together and putting them on Voyo, for example.

Are you not in danger of burnout?

Working in television is so endlessly creative that every season brings new shows, new evolutions. My job is never the same, and that is what fascinates me about it. We have to constantly respond to current events, I am always learning something new, working with people who are inspiring and who push me further.

And do you manage to separate your personal and professional life?

My husband is a director, so it is challenging as we work in the same field. At home, we naturally talk about work as well and can understand each other. However, people who have young children will understand me when I say that children are a significant factor separating us from anything else.

When you are with them, you are attentive to them and their needs. Children come first.

Being so busy, how do you relax?

Physically at work. At home, I am too busy to sit down. My work motivates me, and my kids give me energy, they have plenty of it. Because they are still small, there is not much rest, but they are a lot of fun and I enjoy my time with my family to the fullest.

Source: forbes.cz

9. 10. 2023

ASSOCIATION OF COMMERCIAL TELEVISION PARTNERING WITH FORUM MEDIA’S EFFIE STAGE

This year’s Forum Media conference, the largest domestic professional event focused on media, marketing and communication, will take place on 9 November 2023 at O2 Universum in Prague. This unique event bringing inspiration, information and interaction is organised by Marketing & Media in collaboration with the AKA and APRA associations. The Association of Commercial Television has partnered with the Effie Stage this year, featuring four speakers from AKTV’s member companies.

The Association of Commercial Television has become a partner of the Effie Stage at this year’s Forum Media conference, one of the most important marketing events, bringing together the biggest marketing and communications experts from around the world.

“We are very pleased to partner with such an exceptional industry event as Forum Media. We want to bring attendees inspiration from the world of television, which undoubtedly continues to deliver the best results for advertisers,”

says Klára Brachtlová, President of the Association of Commercial Television.

Effie is synonymous with the effectiveness of marketing communication. Effective communication must be of top quality. It is therefore logical that Effie is associated with partners who offer the highest quality content or services in the communications market. And commercial broadcasters are certainly one of them,”

adds Ondřej Novák, Executive Director of the Association of Media Agencies, commenting on the partnership.

On behalf of AKTV, the conference will feature four experts from AKTV’s member companies as speakers who will introduce the latest trends and reveal why television is one of the most effective advertising tools in the marketing mix during their presentations on the Effie Stage.

Martin Vogt, Senior Research Consultant in the Brand and Media Experience department at Eye Square, will present the first ever research conducted for AKTV, an exclusive Czech edition of the Track the Success study, which compares the effectiveness of the same adverts displayed across different media channels, namely TV, BVOD, YouTube and Facebook. The study, conducted in the Czech environment, focused on finding out how viewers and users perceive media content and analysing the impact that a specific situation has on the effect of an advertisement when perceived, building on a similar project conducted in 2021 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The conclusion of the study is clear: TV performs best in all countries studied on several key parameters – it generates the most interest, attention, memorability and understanding of the advertising message.

“Television benefits from a number of advantages at once. It offers the big screen as the most effective advertising space, a trusted environment and quality content as a transmission medium, and last but not least, the highest visual attention. This pattern holds true across all the countries where we have conducted research,”

said Marvin Vogt, commenting on the study results. The detailed results will be presented to the participants of this year’s Forum Media conference on 9 November at 3 p.m. in conference room D8.

Jakub Strýček, Marketing Director of Nova Group, will take the floor at 3:20 p.m. He will present the topic TV as an active tool for rapid brand building and reduced investment in performance marketing.

“Marketing investments in today’s digital world are increasingly going to various online platforms, but TV remains the most important media channel. Why? Not only does TV offer broad reach and deep emotional engagement, it is also becoming a key player in the combination of rapid brand building and optimising investment in performance marketing. Performance marketing is like waiting with a net for a school of fish. And we will show you how to reverse this reactive approach to waiting for customer activity – and be an active player with TV leading the fish right into your net. We will also look at the synergies of the TV and online worlds that lead to lower customer acquisition costs while increasing brand awareness,”

introduces his topic Jakub Strýček, who is responsible not only for the marketing, PR, communication, research and media planning departments at Nova but also for the creative department, i.e. for the implementation of visual design projects for new TV shows, self-promotion and image campaigns.

Štěpán Wolde, General Director of Stanice O (Óčko), Media One, will discuss the battle between modern technology and traditional media in his speech “It’s Not Over (Until It’s Over)”, which will start at 3:40 p.m. Štěpán Wolde has been working in the field of media since 1997. At IP Praha/ARBOmedia, he was involved in marketing and selling advertising space for TV, radio and print. In 2006, he founded Media One, a company that focuses on special (commercial) operations on TV screens. In 2008, he managed the entry of Atmedia into the Czech market and in 2012, he became the head of the music television ÓČKO.

At 4 p.m., Josef Beneš, Director of VOD services at FTV PRIMA, will conclude the presentation of experts from AKTV with the topic From the traditional to the brand new: The evolution of prima+ in the new digital age. During the speech, the audience will learn how the new prima+ works with a unique commercial proposition that combines three subscription levels. They will also learn about the evolution of viewership and key trends, the functions and role of local exclusive content, genre preferences and the main attributes of the new prima+ service. Josef Beneš, who is a media professional with more than a decade of experience and under whose leadership TV Prima has successfully launched a new hybrid VOD service under the prima+ brand this year, will also comment on what constitutes the market standard today in terms of product quality and personalised communication across customer segments.

The detailed conference programme is available on the conference website: forummedia.cz/program.

5. 10. 2023
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