According to reports, pirated movies are silently stealing millions of dollars from film production and distribution businesses every year, threatening the survival of the entire industry. Don’t let your revenue continue to be ‘gutted’ by copyright violators! Join Thu Do Multimedia to find out the detailed effective solution in this article!
1. Pirated Movies – The Silent Thief
Pirated movies, although not a new concept, have developed into a global problem thanks to the spread of the internet and technology. Previously, the copying and distribution of pirated movies took place slowly through physical media such as tapes and discs, but today, with just one click of the mouse, millions of people can access illegal movies worldwide. This not only causes a rapid loss of revenue but also puts businesses in a situation where they have to face unpredictable losses.
According to a recent report, the global film industry loses billions of dollars every year due to pirated movies. For film production businesses, this does not stop at losing ticket sales but also seriously affects distribution channels, advertising and commercial cooperation.
Pirated movies have been silently taking away valuable film assets from legitimate businesses that own film copyrights. But what is even more worrying is that many businesses have yet to fully realize the seriousness of this problem. If you do not act now, your business may find itself in a difficult situation when revenue is greatly affected and your competitive position in the market is lost.
Documents from the Office of the US Trade Representative clearly state that Phimmoi and Phimmoizz are two websites that illegally upload thousands of movies and TV shows. Although the domain name Phimmoi has been blocked, most of the traffic has since been transferred to Phimmoizz. This new website continues to be on the list of the most serious copyright infringement websites in Vietnam.
2. The “Allure” of Pirated Movies: Why Do Users Choose Pirated Movies?
Pirated movies have become a common problem, attracting millions of users worldwide. So what makes pirated movies so appealing, even when users know that they are breaking the law and may face serious consequences? Here is a closer look at the factors that make pirated movies so appealing to audiences:
Convenience
One of the biggest factors that attracts users to pirated movies is convenience. Instead of having to go to the theater or pay for legal streaming services, users can watch movies right at home with just a few clicks without any cost. Moreover, pirated movie sites often offer a wide selection of movies, from new to old, all available immediately, no waiting required.
Legal movie distribution platforms often have registration requirements, payment requirements, and sometimes geographic restrictions, making it difficult for users to access the content they want. Meanwhile, pirated movie sites do not require complicated logins or any form of identity verification, making it easy and quick for users to access.
Speed and Fast Accessibility
When a new movie is released, audiences often want to watch it immediately, and this demand has created “fertile ground” for pirated movies to develop. Pirated movie sites often upload movies immediately after they are released, sometimes even leaking them before the official release date.
This fast access makes many people willing to ignore legal services and choose pirated movie sites to satisfy their need to watch movies immediately. This is especially true for blockbuster movies or popular TV shows like Game of Thrones or The Mandalorian, which attract millions of viewers worldwide.
A prime example is the Game of Thrones season 7 series, which was downloaded illegally more than 1 billion times in a short time. The eagerness of viewers to not miss out on new content has contributed to the trend of watching pirated movies, despite the risks of breaking the law.
Lack of Legal Options
In some countries, especially developing countries, legal online movie viewing platforms are not yet popular or are not affordable for the majority of people. This creates a market gap that pirated movie sites quickly fill.
For example, in India, not everyone can easily access streaming services like Netflix or Amazon Prime due to high subscription costs or technical and legal barriers. Consumers, therefore, tend to look for free, more convenient alternatives, and pirated movies become the top choice. In addition, some movies or TV shows are not available on local streaming services, further forcing viewers to turn to pirated movie sites to satisfy their entertainment needs.
But the cost of pirated films goes beyond lost revenue. Filmmakers are facing the risk of reputational damage, as many of their products are released in poor quality, affecting the viewer experience.
3. The Shocking Truth: Billions of Dollars Are Lost Every Year Due to Piracy
Many film production and distribution businesses are faced with a big question: How much money are we losing to piracy? The figure may not be easy to calculate accurately, but it is clear that the damage is huge.
According to research by Envision Ltd, India is one of the leading countries in terms of the rate of viewing and downloading pirated films. Many films such as Udta Punjab, Mohalla Assi and Paanch have been leaked online in high quality before their official release. This not only loses potential revenue from ticket sales but also affects copyright deals, international distribution and pay TV channels.
Every time a film is pirated, businesses not only lose the opportunity to profit from their product but also lose control of the market. When consumers have easy access to pirated versions, they have less incentive to buy tickets to legitimate movies or use legitimate services. This undermines the entire film industry ecosystem and hurts businesses large and small.
Videos (films and TV shows) are the most pirated content on the internet making up more than 66% of all pirated content. According to estimates, the United States loses $29.2 billion in revenue every year due to online video piracy. The latest piracy reports indicate that global film piracy increased by 33% during the COVID-19 lockdown.
A report plan indicating that:
- Annual global revenue losses from digital piracy are between $40 and $97.1 billion in the movie industry.
- Illegal downloading of copyrighted materials takes up 24% of the global bandwidth.
- 52% of online users watch pirated videos.
- 59% of people are aware that downloading or streaming pirated videos is illegal.
The ACE Alliance, which includes more than 50 major entertainment production companies including Amazon, Disney and Warner Bros., has claimed credit for shutting down Fmovies, a popular network that streamed pirated movies and TV shows. In an official statement, ACE called Fmovies and its affiliates “the world’s largest pirate streaming network.”
Charles Rivkin, CEO of the MPA and President of ACE, described the takedown of Fmovies as “a resounding victory for casts, crews, writers, directors, studios and the creative community around the world.” Adding that the MPA’s Director of Content Protection, Larissa Knapp, stressed that the move “sends a strong deterrent message” to those who operate or attempt to establish pirate sites that stream copyrighted content.
Read more: Movie studios are cracking down on some pirated websites
4. Appropriate punishment for “pirates”
The two countries with the largest number of users downloading pirated movies globally have introduced strict sanctions to deter and strictly control this “epidemic”.
In the United States
Violating when sharing pirated movies on websites can face fines of up to $750. In August 2019, the FBI charged eight people with copyright infringement for copying and distributing movies. Although users can use VPNs, IP addresses can still be traced and network operators can also identify devices accessing pirated websites, putting users in legal trouble.
In India
India used to be one of the leading countries in downloading and watching pirated movies, with popular movies being leaked before they hit theaters. To reduce violations, the government has taken many measures such as reducing service taxes to lower ticket prices. However, copyright violators in India can be imprisoned for 6 months to 3 years, with fines ranging from 50,000 to 200,000 rupees ($655 to $2,600) for the first offense, and the penalties increase for repeat offenders.
Despite the “strict sanctions” imposed on the leaders of pirated movie websites, the complete removal and handling of the site is still a big question and a long road that needs to be closely pursued. Each trial is very costly in terms of cost, time and effort, so businesses should proactively take “preventive” measures and protect their film products as the top priority.
5. Sigma DRM – Playing the Hero in the Fierce Battle to Protect Film Copyrights of Businesses
In the context of pirated films growing stronger and threatening the revenue of the film industry, film production and distribution businesses are looking for more effective protection solutions.
One of the leading technological weapons today is Sigma Multi DRM. The solution provides a strong layer of protection, helping businesses ensure intellectual property rights and protect digital content from illegal copying and distribution. This is considered a solid technological “shield”, playing an important role in protecting the valuable assets of film producers and distributors worldwide.
The Secret of DRM Technology: How Sigma Multi DRM Becomes a Solid Shield Against Piracy
DRM is a digital rights management technology that helps control and prevent unauthorized access to digital content. Sigma Multi DRM is the most advanced solution today in combating the copying and distribution of pirated movies. This technology works by encrypting digital content and limiting user access, allowing only those who have been legally licensed to access and view the content.
A highlight of Sigma Multi DRM is the ability to integrate with many different streaming platforms, from services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime to internal systems of businesses. This helps protect movie content from being copied, even when it has been released on legal distribution channels. With comprehensive protection, Sigma Multi DRM becomes one of the leading solutions to prevent copyright infringement.
Sigma Multi DRM solution has achieved the world’s leading Cartesian certification for the first strong digital copyright protection with 3 layers.
Producer’s Movie Protection
For movie producers, protecting intellectual property rights is extremely important. From production to distribution, their content is always at risk of being stolen and illegally distributed, which greatly affects revenue and brand. Sigma DRM helps producers protect their film content from the moment it is completed, by encrypting data and strictly controlling access rights.
In addition, Sigma Multi DRM technology also allows producers to track the history of content usage, helping to promptly detect copyright infringement cases. This not only helps protect the financial interests of businesses but also ensures transparency in the release and distribution of digital content.
Protecting Distributors’ Films
In addition to protecting producers’ films, Sigma DRM is also a powerful solution that helps film distributors maintain control of content on streaming platforms and distribution channels. In today’s digital environment, once a film has been released to the public, maintaining ownership and control of content becomes extremely difficult. Pirated movies are easily copied and illegally distributed on many unofficial channels.
With Sigma Multi DRM, publishers can protect their content from being pirated even after it has been released to the public. By encrypting and limiting access by geographic area, device or broadcasting platform, Sigma DRM ensures that only audiences who have paid or have legal rights can access and use the movie content. This helps protect revenue and maintain fairness in the online cinema market.
In 2016, Thu Do combined with VTVCab to launch an OTT television platform called VTVcab ON, the first platform entirely researched and built by Vietnamese people, not only pioneering 4K broadcasting on the Internet but also the only system to date that has all content channels from free to paid protected by DRM. When managing content, the “station” will be flexible in licensing the time when content can be viewed for free, what time to charge, and not having to pay bandwidth for content “stolen” by bad guys.
Not only that, Thu Do Multimedia’s products are deployed in many leading large and small organizations and businesses in Vietnam and some international countries. The solution is deployed in a variety of fields and activities such as television, entertainment, education, healthcare, etc.
This is a solution that both meets the security requirements at the operating system level (Operating System) often used by companies that own valuable copyrights such as Hollywood film studios, the English Premier League, etc. and meets the security requirements at the application level of third parties. Sigma Multi-DRM participating in the second inspection and passing the security requirements is a very proud event when a Vietnamese technology solution has passed the rigorous tests of a leading prestigious organization in the world.
Conclude
With the growth of pirated movies, film production and distribution businesses need strong and comprehensive protection measures. Sigma Multi DRM is the leading solution, helping businesses protect intellectual property and maintain a competitive position in today’s digital film industry.
Read more: Hackers tricks used to steal movies
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