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Crime
Opinion

Fighting video piracy will take a unified effort as Asia’s TV and cinema industries boom

Chrys Poulain says Asia is growing as a content provider, meaning efforts to encourage legitimate consumer use are badly needed. A new anti-piracy coalition is a step in the right direction

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Victor Koo, CEO of Youku Tudou (left), Sohu CEO Charles Zhang (centre) and Tencent senior vice-president Seng Yee Lau stand behind a sign symbolising action against copyright violation during a news conference in Beijing in 2013. Online piracy and copyright violation is an ongoing problem in Asia. Photo: Reuters
Chrys Poulain
Recognised as an entertainment content market gateway, Asia has positioned itself as a contender, attracting the global attention of top industry players to invest in, acquire, produce, package and distribute content.

Recently, the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia – the leading trade body for the region’s pay TV industry – announced the formation of the Coalition Against Piracy, to coordinate with major entertainment companies.

A suspect is handcuffed after pirated discs were seized in Mong Kok, Hong Kong. Asia is projected to become the largest region for online piracy in 2018. Photo: Martin Chan
A suspect is handcuffed after pirated discs were seized in Mong Kok, Hong Kong. Asia is projected to become the largest region for online piracy in 2018. Photo: Martin Chan

Malaysia launches Infringing Website List initiative to combat digital piracy

Backed by beIN Sports, the Walt Disney Company, Fox Networks Group, HBO Asia, NBCUniversal and others, this move strengthens Asia’s profile as a market leader responsible for fighting illicit content access and redistribution.
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Today’s rapidly evolving digital revolution has fashioned a culture in which consumers increasingly expect free, or at least inexpensive, access to high-quality content on any device at any time. With over half the world’s population living in Asia, opportunity is ripe to reach and tailor entertainment services for this content-hungry market. Fifty per cent of the projected US$83 billion global online TV and movie revenue is expected to come from the region by 2022.

Internet mogul Kim Dotcom attends his extradition appeal at the High Court in Auckland, in 2016. New Zealand's High Court ruled in February that Dotcom was eligible for extradition to the US over allegations of online piracy. Photo: AFP
Internet mogul Kim Dotcom attends his extradition appeal at the High Court in Auckland, in 2016. New Zealand's High Court ruled in February that Dotcom was eligible for extradition to the US over allegations of online piracy. Photo: AFP

Music piracy increasing globally, ripped from Spotify, YouTube says recording industry group

This, however, is a double-edged sword with video piracy devastating the industry. Asia is projected to become the largest region for online piracy in 2018, with revenue losses expected to double between 2016 and 2022 to nearly US$20 billion. Can the anti-corruption coalition ensure legal platforms for consumers who gravitate towards accessing video illegally?

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