Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) Archives

Asia Video Summit Returns in 2022 with a Focus on a Future of Growth and Sustainability in Asia

The annual marquee event of the Asian video industry, the Asia Video Summit (https://asiavideosummit.com), will return as a full hybrid event this year on 1-2 November 2022, with physical events in both Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as a live stream of all sessions to be made available on its interactive event platform.

The Asia Video Summit is organized by Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) with Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the Lead Sponsor. The aim of the Asia Video Summit (Summit) is to tell a holistic story of the state of the video industry, looking at all aspects of it and articulated by its decision makers, to provide its delegates with a comprehensive view of the state of the video industry today.

In the post-COVID-19 era, media and entertainment companies have been the darlings of Wall Street. This narrative has recently changed, however, and arguably irrational exuberance has given way to irrational pessimism. But is the streaming business model fundamentally flawed, or is this just a recalibration in an era of inflation and post-pandemic trauma? How do the trajectories of investment vs monetization balance each other? And where does Asia sit compared to other parts of the world? Do subscriber numbers foretell a golden period of growth in Asia that can counter negative narratives from the West?

At this year’s Summit, we will be speaking to the people who are determining the future of the video industry in Asia. Besides the State and Future of the Video Industry, we will also explore the growing role and Advance of Advertising, the technology Behind the Customer Experience, a detailed look at the role of News and Sports today and the burning topic of Environmental Sustainability.

Some of the key speakers of the Summit include:
Saugato Banerjee, Managing Director Asia, A+E Networks
– Johan Buse, Chief, Consumer Business Group, StarHub
– Kirana Chew, Deputy Director, Planning & Business Development, Strategic Content Group, True Corporation
– Vivek Couto, Executive Director, Media Partners Asia
– James Gibbons, President & Managing Director, Western Pacific, Warner Bros. Discovery
Phil Hardman, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Asia, BBC Studios
– Nicholas John, Vice President, Head of Sports, Astro
– Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5
– Mike Kerr, Managing Director Asia, beIN Asia Pacific
– Sidd Mantri, Head of Product – Developing Markets, Disney Streaming
– Vignesh Narayanan, Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Ads
– Parminder Singh, Chief Commercial Officer & Chief Digital Officer, Mediacorp
– Jay Yang, Chief Executive Officer, TVING
– Nini Yusof, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Media Prima Television Networks

Join us in person at the Asia Video Summit 2022, where, bull or bear, optimist or pessimist, we will ask those who are making the decisions and deciding the destiny of the Asian video industry the hard questions all of us are thinking. All sessions of the Summit will also be livestreamed on the event platform. For more details of this year’s Summit programme and speakers, visit www.asiavideosummit.com

The Asia Video Summit is proudly sponsored by Gold Sponsors Brightcove, BytePlus, INVIDI, PubMatic, Tencent Cloud, TV5MONDE, Silver Sponsors AsiaSat, Broadpeak, Dolby, Edgio, Google, Gracenote, InvestHK, Irdeto, Magnite, MEASAT, Mirada, Nagra, SES, Synamedia. Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the Lead Sponsor supports the Community Outreach Programme that provides complimentary passes for local video and creative industries-related SMEs and tertiary students to participate in the virtual Summit. Complimentary in-person Mentoring Workshops will also be held on 10 November to provide insightful tips about the media industry.

About the Asia Video Industry Association

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) is the trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. AVIA is the interlocutor for the industry with governments across the region, leads the fight against video piracy through its Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) and provides insight into the video industry through reports and conferences aimed to support a vibrant video industry.

About Create Hong Kong

Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) in June 2009 to spearhead the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. From 1 July 2022 onwards, it is under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community.

For media enquiries and additional background information on Asia Video Summit 2022, please contact:

Charmaine Kwan
Head of Marketing and Communications
Email: charmaine@avia.org
Website: www.avia.org |LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asiavideoia |Twitter: @AsiaVideoIA

Disclaimer: Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organisers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Create Hong Kong, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.

AVIA Releases OTT Study in Singapore at its First OTT Upfront Showcase Presenting Premium Content at its Best

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) has released a new research study entitled Premium OTT – Building its Rightful Place in the Digital Market, to understand the usage of different video services in Singapore and attitudes towards them. The independent research study conducted by Milieu Insight was unveiled to agencies, advertisers and brands at AVIA’s first OTT Upfront Showcase where two of the region’s top premium video services, iQIYI and Viu, presented previews and highlights of their upcoming slate of content to the audience at a closed-door event.

The research shows that Premium OTT streaming services (OTT) are clearly differentiated from videos viewed on social media or video sharing sites. OTT was highly valued by consumers in Singapore for having the highest quality content. 58% of respondents indicated that they felt premium OTT services had high quality content, compared to only 36% for social media and video sharing services. Similarly, when asked which video services they generally felt captured the highest levels of attention while watching, 49% of respondents selected OTT streaming services, compared to only 35% who selected social media and video sharing services.

Levels of engagement were also entirely different with 51% of people feeling immersed when watching OTT content as opposed to only 39% for social media & video sharing. Top emotions elicited when watching OTT were happiness and amusement whereas for social media and video sharing, the top emotion was “nothing”.

When looking at the impact of advertising, linear television remains the place where it is most noticed (76%) and ads are thought to be the highest quality (41%), although it is in social media where ads feel most intrusive (37%). Linear was again the winner when it came to prompting brand or product searches (25%) and prompting purchase (19%). Louis Boswell, CEO, AVIA, commented that this “Bodes well for the OTT industry. There is a clear link between linear television and OTT from a content perspective, and with more OTT services looking at advertising, I strongly suspect it is simply a matter of time before the effectiveness of ads on OTT matches that of linear television.”

Dinesh Ratnam, Country Manager, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei, iQIYI International, commented, “AVIA’s research further cements the rise of OTT and the appreciation for the premium content on OTT platforms. As the OTT industry continues evolving and becoming more accessible, its audience is also looking for more diverse content. With the global success of shows such as iQIYI’s original costume drama Story of Yanxi Palace drawing a global audience larger than that of Game of Thrones, the rise of Asian content is also drawing in larger, more diverse audiences. We are thrilled to be a part of AVIA’s inaugural OTT Upfront Showcase in Singapore and to have the opportunity to showcase our exciting slate to advertisers and partners.”

AVIA thanks its members Magnite, PubMatic, The Trade Desk, and Xandr for supporting the OTT Upfront Showcase and the same companies plus Index Exchange for supporting the research.

A link to the research study entitled Premium OTT – Building its Rightful Place in the Digital Market can be downloaded here (https://bit.ly/3L4lrMD).

About the Premium OTT Study

The study, Premium OTT – Building its Rightful Place in the Digital Market, was conducted in Singapore by Milieu Insight Pte Ltd, with online fieldwork using Milieu Insight’s online panel. The sample size was n=1200 and was representative of the Singapore adult population aged 16+. Premium OTT Services listed in the study were as follows: Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Go, iQIYI, meWATCH, Netflix, Singtel Cast, StarHub TV+, Viu and WeTV. Social Media and Video Sharing Services listed were: Daily Motion, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Telegram, TikTok, Twitter, Vimeo, WhatsApp and YouTube.

About the Asia Video Industry Association

For media enquiries and additional background please contact:
Charmaine Kwan
Head of Marketing and Communications
Email: charmaine@avia.org
Website: www.avia.org
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asiavideoia
Twitter: @AsiaVideoIA

Manila Protection of Online Content Summit Builds Off High Hopes for Efficient and Effective Site Blocking Measures in New House Bill

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) and the Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) hosted a seminar earlier today in Manila to promote the protection of online content in a country that continues to have some of the highest levels of online piracy in Asia Pacific, levels that impede economic growth and pose serious risks to consumers. AVIA, and local industry partners involved in the seminar such as Globe and Kroma, held the event to highlight the need for the revised IP Code recently presented to the House to address rampant online piracy via the implementation of efficient and effective site blocking procedures.

The seminar brought together some of the leading content industry and government players in the Philippines, including the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines’ (IPOPHL) Deputy Director General, Teodoro C. Pascua, Congressman Joey Sarte Salceda, the Film Development Council of the Philippines and representatives from Globe Telecom, Disney, NBA and Kroma. Speakers at the seminar discussed the revised IP Code, the impact of online piracy in the Philippines, including the harm posed by piracy such as malware infections, as well as looking at best practices to combat online piracy, including reviewing what measures other countries in the region have taken to address online piracy.

Matthew Cheetham, CAP’s General Manager, noted. “We know from a recent YouGov survey that the Philippines has some of the highest online piracy rates in the Asia Pacific, with more than 60% of consumers admitting they watch pirate content online.” The same survey shows that site blocking is the preferred method of reducing piracy. Added Cheetham, “More than 49% of consumers believe a government or court order for ISPs to block pirate sites would be the most effective measure to reduce piracy in the Philippines.”

However, the good news is that consumers are also being educated about piracy with more than 40% being aware of the negative impacts of piracy on the local creative industry, as well as the risks of malware infections from accessing pirate sites. Cheetham illustrated the stark reality of the consumer risks from pirate sites highlighted in their “Time to Compromise” report from earlier in the year with a video presentation showing a user being infected with fake ransomware within 30 seconds of searching for pirate Philippine movie content.

There is some hope that the revised IP Code bill, HB0799, filed in early July, will address the rampant online piracy. However, while the bill does provide the potential for the government to block sites due to copyright infringement, the procedures for doing so are not clear. Cheetham noted that “Malaysia has some of the best site blocking measures in the region and it’s no surprise that Malaysia’s online piracy rates have plummeted by 60% since the Malaysian government implemented its rolling site blocking measures in early 2020.”

“The transformation brought about by the last two years has drastically changed the ecommerce landscape and technologies in all sectors have adapted accordingly. Protection and enforcement of intellectual property especially in the creative sector will perforce, adjust and adapt as the developments in ecommerce evolve and stabilizes. Failing to do so will drastically destroy the cadence of development already began and bring more loss than gains,” said Teodoro Pascua, Deputy Director General, The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).

“Revising the Philippines’ intellectual property code is urgently necessary to ensure that we protect the Philippines’ creative industry and content users. To complement regulatory efforts, Globe has been implementing its anti-piracy campaign #PlayItRight since 2017 to educate customers on how to become responsible users of online content across the film and music industries, and the areas of digital literacy and education. We also vigorously monitor, and block validated illegal piracy sites. Adding teeth to the law will further boost these initiatives,” said Yoly Crisanto, Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer at Globe.

Added Ian Monsod, CEO of Kroma Entertainment, “Kroma is committed to develop world class entertainment as well as to elevate Filipino artistry and content to the world stage. We will continue to vigilantly work with industry stakeholders to uphold the IP rights protection as a backbone and path to the creator industry sustainability.”

About the Asia Video Industry Association

Indonesia Continues to Lead the Way in Site Blocking

The Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) has been tracking traffic to sites that have been blocked in Indonesia, as well as overall traffic to pirate sites and legitimate sites. The Indonesian government started blocking illegal sites in the middle of 2019 and by April this year the total number of sites blocked in Indonesia had topped 3,500. CAP’s latest data also showed traffic to all pirate sites in Indonesia was down by 75% as of January this year compared to when tracking first started in September 2019. Encouragingly traffic to legitimate sites in Indonesia had also tripled over the same period.

The effectiveness of the blocking is backed up by the most recent YouGov consumer surveys undertaken by CAP in which more than 50% of Indonesian consumers say that they have stopped or rarely access pirate services as a result of blocking. Perhaps more importantly, 76% of Indonesian consumers say they are accessing more legal content and pirating less, and 26% say they have subscribed to legitimate sources as a result of illegal streaming sites being blocked. Blocking as an educational tool may also be evident in 95% of Indonesian consumers agreeing that online piracy does have negative consequences – the highest in the region.

Local movie producer Edwin Nazir, the Chairman of Asosiasi Produser Film Indonesia (APROFI) was greatly encouraged by the ongoing blocking efforts and the positive traffic data. “It is through collective consciousness and continuous effort that we can stand against piracy and bring the Indonesian film industry forward,” said Nazir.

Matthew Cheetham, General Manager of CAP, noted, “Indonesia is leading the way when it comes to regulatory site blocking in the Asia Pacific region, if not the world, and the Indonesian government is to be congratulated for the strong stance they have taken in this area. Local industry is clearly benefitting from the actions, as are consumers who are not only being directed towards legitimate content, but in being blocked from accessing pirate sites, they are also protected from the serious risks that previous CAP studies shows are inherent in accessing pirate sites.”

CAP’s most recent YouGov consumer surveys show that while piracy continues to be a major concern around the Asia Pacific region, particularly in Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines, where 61% of consumers admit to accessing pirate services in each country, site blocking, and in particular government regulatory blocking, is having a noticeable effect in stopping consumers accessing pirated content online.

About the Asia Video Industry Association

For media enquiries and additional background please contact:
Charmaine Kwan
Head of Marketing and Communications
Email: charmaine@avia.org
Website: www.avia.org

CAP Consumer Survey Shows the Benefits of Site Blocking

The Coalition Against Piracy’s (CAP’s) most recent YouGov consumer surveys show that while piracy continues to be a major concern around the Asia Pacific region, particularly in Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines where 61% of consumers admit to accessing pirate services in each country, site blocking, and in particular government regulatory blocking, is having a noticeable effect in stopping consumers accessing pirated content online.

Countries around the region that implement site-blocking showed a change in consumer behaviour to stop accessing piracy services due to sites being blocked and the change was most notable in those countries that used regulatory blocking. In Indonesia, more than 50% of consumers say that they have stopped or rarely access pirate services as a result of blocking, as do nearly 50% of consumers in Vietnam and 45% in Malaysia.

Encouragingly, the surveys show that regular site-blocking not only stops consumers accessing pirated content online, but also drives them towards legitimate sources, with more than 48% of consumers around the region stating they would subscribe to paid online services if the content they wanted to watch was not available via a pirate source.

Matthew Cheetham, General Manager of CAP, noted, “It is now clearly evident that site blocking, particularly regulatory blocking, is effective. The benefits are multi-fold, not only are consumers being directed towards legitimate content, but in being blocked from accessing pirate sites, they are also protected from the serious risks that previous CAP studies have proven are inherent in accessing pirate sites.” The surveys also illustrated the growing migration of consumption of pirate content via social media and messaging platforms. “However, the surveys also show the benefits of consumer education with a growing awareness amongst consumers of the negative consequences of piracy, most particularly via illicit profiteering and malware,” added Cheetham.

For the first time, CAP’s YouGov consumer surveys were undertaken across several countries simultaneously. The surveys will be repeated across the same countries annually, and in doing so, will enable longitudinal analysis of consumer behavioural trends towards piracy and enforcement measures around the region.

About the Asia Video Industry Association

For media enquiries and additional background please contact:

Charmaine Kwan
Head of Marketing and Communications
Email: charmaine@avia.org
Website: www.avia.org
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asiavideoia
Twitter: @AsiaVideoIA

Singapore Court Orders Largest Block of Illegal Streaming Sites in Singapore

The Asia Video Industry Association‘s Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) commends the Singapore High Court for granting an Order to block 30 illegal streaming sites and almost 150 associated domains responsible for the distribution of considerable quantities of illegally streamed content in Singapore.

The Order was obtained by CAP members, BBC Studios, Discovery Communications, LaLiga, the Premier League and TVB International against illegal streaming sites that were offering access to some of the most sought-after content including premium sports, drama and entertainment. The Order covered the greatest number of sites and domains yet sought by CAP members. Under the Order Internet Service Providers must disable access to these illegal sites and their associated domains.

The Order is part of CAP’s ongoing campaign in Singapore and around the region against illegal streaming sites. “Illegal streaming sites are simply illegal,” said CAP’s General Manager, Matthew Cheetham. “Piracy is not a victimless crime and hurts not only content providers but also consumers who can be exposed to viruses and malware when accessing illegal sites, including malware that can access a user’s sensitive data such as banking details.”

The Order comes shortly after the release of a new study commissioned by CAP, “Time to Compromise”. The study showed that a typical user visiting illegal streaming sites could be infected by ransomware, several trojan horses, and other Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) within 42 seconds on a Windows machine, and 78 seconds for an Android device. The results support the hypothesis that there is a nexus between illegal streaming sites and malware infections, where site operators generate significant revenue from allowing malicious ads to be placed on their sites. Malware authors can in turn gain access to consumer PCs and mobile devices, and all of the data held in storage, including access to banking login details and other sensitive logins.

A study on the online content viewing behaviour in Singapore, commissioned by CAP and conducted by YouGov shows that blocking sites is effective with the percentage of Singaporean consumers accessing illegal streaming sites and using Illicit Streaming Devices (ISDs) dropping in recent years. “Enforcement is key but so is consumer education,” said Cheetham. “This Order carries a dual purpose in not only blocking access to illegal content but also informing consumers that the sites are illegal.”

About the Asia Video Industry Association

For media enquiries and additional background please contact:

Charmaine Kwan
Head of Marketing and Communications
Email: charmaine@avia.org
Website: www.avia.org
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asiavideoia
Twitter: @AsiaVideoIA

AVIA Appoints Matthew Cheetham as General Manager of the Coalition Against Piracy

The Asia Video Industry Association has appointed Matthew Cheetham as General Manager of the Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) with immediate effect.

Over the last four years CAP has made real inroads into the systemic problems of video piracy faced by the broadcast and streaming video industry in Asia Pacific. The blocking of pirate sites is becoming more common in many markets, laws have been introduced to limit access to infringing set-top devices, constructive relationships have been forged with intermediaries to limit access to pirate services and investigations and prosecutions have been effected. And yet the problem remains the single biggest impediment to the growth of the legitimate content creation industry and ecosystem.

As the General Manager of CAP, Cheetham will take over from Aaron Herps and build on the accomplishments achieved by CAP to date, with the aim of creating a stronger and healthier environment in which the video industry can prosper.

Cheetham is a qualified lawyer specializing in intellectual property, more specifically copyright protection, with over 20 years’ experience working in Asia-Pacific (APAC) for some of the largest content producers in the world. Prior to taking up his role at CAP, Cheetham was the Premier League’s Head of Business Affairs, Asia Pacific. In this role, Cheetham opened and headed up the Premier League’s APAC office in Singapore, the Premier League’s first office outside the UK, and oversaw all enforcement, policy and outreach efforts for the Premier League in APAC.

“CAP is critically important to AVIA and the industry as a whole and I am delighted that in Matt we have such a seasoned and experienced executive taking over. Matt will bring his own ideas and energy to the role and I am confident CAP and the industry’s anti-piracy efforts will grow in strength under him,” said Louis Boswell, Chief Executive Officer, AVIA.

Prior to working for the Premier League, Cheetham spent ten years as the Motion Picture Association’s (MPA) Regional Legal Counsel and Assistant Policy Officer for APAC following which he was the Managing Director of the MPA’s New Zealand office, the New Zealand Screen Association (NZSA) that oversaw all enforcement, policy and outreach efforts for MPA member companies in New Zealand.

About the Asia Video Industry Association

For media enquiries and additional background please contact:

Charmaine Kwan
Head of Marketing and Communications
Email: charmaine@avia.org
Website: www.avia.org
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asiavideoia
Twitter: @AsiaVideoIA