Tag: Matthew Cheetham

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Matthew Cheetham

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

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.

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