The internet has become the main source of any copyright infringement content, impacting people and businesses involved in the production and distribution of legitimate materials and exposing consumers to malware and other cybersecurity threats.
The problem is further exacerbated by the pandemic as people are cooped up indoors and have to rely significantly on streaming or downloaded video, music, and games for entertainment.
The latest report released by YouGov for the Asia Video Industry Association’s Coalition Against Piracy (AVIA CAP) showed that 66% of online Filipino consumers admitted having accessed piracy streaming sites and torrent sites, the highest percentage among eight Southeast Asian countries included in the survey.
Moreover, the number of Filipino consumers who purchased illegal streaming devices (ISDs) or a TV box to access pirated video-on-demand content and premium TV channels without paying subscription fees, has jumped to 34% percent from 28% a year earlier.
“In no uncertain terms, piracy is theft. It puts the creative and film industry at risk. It also puts the livelihood of people working in the industry at risk. For these reasons, we encourage our customers to watch content using legitimate sources only,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability Officer and SVP for Corporate Communications.
In the ASEAN region, one of the known initiatives to help curb piracy is through site blocking. The pending bill proposes an administrative site blocking mechanism that would empower the authorities to ensure that Internet Service Providers take “reasonable steps to disable access to sites whenever these sites are reported to be infringing copyright or facilitating copyright infringement”.
Neil Gane, General Manager of AVIA CAP said, “Site blocking is a key tool in disrupting the availability of piracy websites and the illicit revenues that are generated by crime groups who operate these sites. Unfortunately, the appetite for free and accessing stolen content via piracy websites or illicit streaming devices blinkers some consumers from the real risks of malicious malware infection such as spyware.”
As the Philippines’ leading advocate against online piracy, Globe, through its #PlayItRight campaign, continuously sends a strong message to the public to consume digital content the right way. 17 – partnerships.
To protect the intellectual property rights of the company’s own original content as well as the licensed content of its global and local partners, Globe makes it easy for its customers to access premium content using direct carrier billing.
In 2014, Globe changed how Filipinos consumed music by introducing Spotify, ending the culture of illegally downloading mp3 music from illegal sources. Today, Globe remains as a preferred partner for content distribution by global, regional, and local entertainment brands and now produces its own original content through Globe Studios.
