As cryptocurrency emerges as one of the payment methods for illicit IPTV and streaming services, the audiovisual and crypto industries have united with law enforcement to strike back. A week-long international operation brought together major industry players to identify and disrupt criminal networks using digital currencies to fund piracy and launder proceeds from illegal streaming. […]

Anti-piracy body the International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) has confirmed that a lawsuit filed by member company DISH Network against Virtual Systems, LLC and its owner and CEO, Vyacheslav Smyrnov, has resulted in a $41.85 million (€36m) judgment. The lawsuit against Virtual Systems and Smyrnov, filed in October 2024, alleged that Virtual Systems implemented […]

Following the announcement of its recent partnership with the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), European football’s governing body UEFA has joined two additional organisations in order to further enhance its content protection programme. In becoming a member of the Coalition Against Piracy (CAP), the anti-piracy division of the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA), UEFA […]

Police in Lenasia, Johannesburg, have confiscated hundreds of illegal streaming devices valued at some R546,000 (€25,600). The seizure included Android TV boxes that were preloaded with pirated content from MultiChoice and other streaming services, as well as remotes, cables, USB sticks, a laptop, and a cellphone. The raid was carried out by the Hawks, a […]

Consumers are risking thousands of pounds by accessing content illegally online while saving as little as £13 (€14.77) a month, new research reveals. The study, by BeStreamWise, a cross-industry initiative which aims to raise awareness of the dangers of illegal streaming, reveals the false economy of watching pirated material through unofficial sources such as illegal […]

India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has begun a formal consultation process aimed at strengthening India’s digital anti-piracy ecosystem, issuing a public notice inviting inputs from key stakeholders across the Media and Entertainment sector. The notice reflects growing industry concerns regarding the economic impact and enforcement challenges linked to the proliferation of pirated films, broadcast […]

At the request of its member companies, Japanese antipiracy body CODA (Content Overseas Distribution Association) has submitted a written request to OpenAI, 2025 regarding the operation of Sora 2 (sora.chatgpt.com), which the company launched on September 30th, 2025. CODA has confirmed that a large portion of content produced by Sora 2 closely resembles Japanese content […]

FACT Investigations Supervisor Jonathan Bray and Internet Investigator Tim Luckhurst recently talked to the IP Crime Group, a membership of representatives from the private sector, enforcement agencies and government departments who have a role in tackling IP crime and infringement in the UK, to expose the hidden networks behind illegal IPTV and why it’s far […]

A coalition of 36 leaders from across Europe’s media, sport, security and trade body sectors has made public a letter sent to Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen and Commissioner Glenn Micallef, urging the European Commission to take legislative action to stop the unauthorised online transmission of live sports and cultural events. The letter warns that online […]

A new wave of online crime is putting consumers, businesses, and the wider economy at risk – from fake medicines and forged wine to illegal streaming platforms, according to a conference, ‘From CLICK to CRIME: Investigating Intellectual Property Crime in the Digital Age’ held on October 22nd and 23rd 2025 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The increase […]