Anti-Piracy Alliances Hail Australian Victory

A Melbourne-based company supplying IPTV set-top boxes delivering pirated content has been shut down following efforts by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) and CASBAA’s Coalition Against Piracy (CAP).

ACE and CAP conducted a joint investigation of the Australian platform, which has now stopped selling the boxes pre-loaded with apps offering pirated content. The company also has agreed to take the necessary steps to stop customers who had already purchased the boxes from accessing ACE and CASBAA/CAP member company movies, TV shows and sports programming in the future. As part of a settlement agreement, the name of the company and owner were not released.

Zoe Thorogood, a spokesperson for ACE, said, “The film and television industry has made significant investments to provide audiences with access to creative content how, where and when they want it. ACE and CAP members initiated this investigation as part of a comprehensive global approach to protect the legal marketplace for creative content, reduce online piracy and bolster a creative economy that supports millions of workers. This latest action was part of a series of global actions to address the growth of illegal and unsafe piracy devices and apps.”

Neil Gane, general manager of CAP, added, “These little black boxes are now beginning to dominate the piracy ecosystem, causing significant damage to all sectors of the content industry, from producers to telecommunication platforms. They also pose a risk to consumers who face a well-documented increase in exposure to malware. The surge in availability of these illicit streaming devices is an international issue that requires a coordinated effort between industry and government. This will be the first of many disruption and enforcement initiatives on which CAP, ACE and other industry associations will be collaborating together.”