partnerships continue to be essential in coordinating a unified response against illegal content distribution. By combining legal actions, enforcement tactics, and technologydriven monitoring, we can stay ahead of piracy challenges.”
“ Co-operation throughout the industry is key,” declares Forman.“ We have already seen some great work by agencies such as AAPA, CAP and ACE working with industry members and law enforcement, but there is still a great deal of work that can be done. Change at a regulatory and legislative level is, by nature, slow – governments and regulators are rightly careful to ensure that measures they implement don’ t impinge on civil liberties. However, it’ s becoming clear that piracy is a huge problem, and there’ s a shift towards protecting the rights of content creators and rights owners. The recent proposals for legislation in the US are an example of this, and there is movement in many geographies in a similar direction,” he notes. TOOLS.“ It’ s clear that in order to provide effective answers to piracy disruption, law and regulation have to change to allow the appropriate tools. There will always be naysayers, and it’ s very important that any changes are made correctly, and safely. However, there’ s now a lengthy history of precedent that has been set by countries such as the UK, Ireland, Canada, France and others, which shows that disruption techniques such as blocking are both effective and safe, when implemented correctly by organisations with the right experience,” he adds.
“ Stakeholder cooperation has improved significantly in recent years, with broadcasters, rights-holders, technology providers, and regulators working more closely to combat piracy,” suggests Mulready.“ Industry coalitions and partnerships with social media platforms, ISPs and payment providers have been instrumental in disrupting pirate networks. However, governments and regulators still have room to strengthen antipiracy legislation, regulation and enforcement. Stronger legislation is required to address live streaming piracy, including more efficient and timely takedown processes and‘ know your customer’ obligations for dedicated server providers, and stricter penalties for content theft could further deter illegal activities. A global, unified approach— where governments enforce stricter copyright laws and collaborate with industry players— would be the most effective way to reduce piracy’ s impact,” he recommends. STANDARDS.“ As piracy has grown more sophisticated, so has the response from content owners, technology providers, and rights-holders,” says O’ Donovan.“ Digital watermarking has become a key tool in the fight, allowing companies to trace leaks and hold bad actors accountable. The industry is also working together to strengthen authentication standards, ensuring that access control measures are robust and difficult to bypass. However, while cooperation among stakeholders has improved, the scale and speed at which piracy networks operate mean that enforcement measures need to be just as fast and far-reaching to keep pace with content piracy. The legal and regulatory frameworks need to be continually adjusted to support streaming services and rights holders in their efforts.”
“ Co-operation has improved, but there’ s still room for more vigorous enforcement,” admits Pearson.“ Industry stakeholders— content owners, distributors and technology providers— are working more closely to share intelligence and develop standardised protections. Governments and regulators play a role in reinforcing these efforts but, historically, enforcement has lagged behind technology. More coordinated action on illicit streaming sites, stricter penalties and better cross-border and industry collaboration has proven to materially impact pirate operations as evidenced through Alianza’ s Operation 404 programme in Brazil.”
“ Legislation has been evolving in a positive way in Europe,” says Durand.“ France, for instance, has now facilitated the blocking of pirate websites, taking its lead from the UK and Portugal. Other regulators should and will follow these examples.” ATTACKS. With cyber-attacks and data theft becoming an increasing threat, are traditional content protection providers well-placed to help?“ While traditional content protection providers have established methods, they may need to adapt to evolving cyber threats,” suggests Herovanu.“ Increased collaboration with cybersecurity experts can enhance protection measures against data theft. Another potential solution could be an emphasis on proactive strategies, such as automated CDN / DRM logfile analysis, vulnerability assessments and incident response plans can prove essential for modern protection.”
“ Absolutely,” asserts de Posada.“ Traditional content protection providers have evolved beyond just securing video streams. They now play a crucial role in cybersecurity. Many have expanded their solutions to include anti-fraud measures, data encryption, immutability and network security, recognising that piracy and cyber threats are deeply interconnected. We can also find high availability being a key component in the content protection providers offerings, increasing availability and resiliency of their products. As content is increasingly delivered via the cloud, protecting it requires a combination of robust access controls, AIpowered intrusion detection and continuous monitoring. With ransomware attacks becoming increasingly popular, integrity monitoring and protection is also key to prevent this type of cyber-attacks. While legacy providers have had to adapt quickly, their expertise in securing digital assets makes them well-positioned to address the growing cyber risks in the industry.”
“ Traditional content protection providers are evolving to meet the growing cybersecurity threats facing the media and entertainment industry,” notes Mulready.“ While historically focused on DRM and anti-piracy measures, these providers are now integrating advanced cybersecurity solutions to protect content platforms from hacking, ransomware, and data breaches. The ability to secure content goes beyond protecting video streams; it also involves safeguarding user data, preventing credential stuffing attacks, and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations. As streaming platforms become prime targets for cybercriminals, content security providers must continue expanding their capabilities to offer comprehensive cybersecurity solutions that protect both content and infrastructure.” TRUST.“ Security goes beyond preventing unauthorised viewing, encompassing user data protection, payment information, and network infrastructure,” says O’ Donovan.“ DRM and encryption remain fundamental, but they must be integrated with broader security measures such as real-time threat monitoring, multi- CDN architectures, and robust authentication processes. Streaming platforms must be resilient, particularly during high-stakes events where millions of users log in simultaneously. A single security breach can not only result in revenue loss but also damage brand trust. The best protection therefore needs to protect content but also offer continuous monitoring, automated threat detection, and rapid response mechanisms to mitigate risks before they escalate.”
“ Protecting content is not just about preventing unauthorised viewing but also securing the entire digital ecosystem. AI-driven attacks on subscription services, account takeovers and data breaches pose as much risk as content leaks. Providers integrating cybersecurity measures, such as AI-driven threat detection and automated response systems, are best positioned to protect content and customer data in an increasingly hostile digital environment,” says Pearson.
“ Security solutions and techniques addressing cyber-attacks or data theft differ in approach because the end user has a vested interest in being protected, which is not the case for content protection,” suggests Durand.“ Having said that, many content protection providers also offer cybersecurity solutions or services, so there is synergy even when the techniques used are different.”
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