Sigma Active Observer (SAO): AI technology that ‘hunts’ for copyright-infringing websites

Besides the advantages, the digital revolution in the television sector has brought unprecedented challenges in security and copyright protection of content, requiring the creation of new solutions to protect content from a series of copyright infringement risks…

September 26, with the theme “Solving the problem of copyright protection for the music – cinema – digital television industry”, co-organized by the Vietnam Digital Media Association (VDCA) in collaboration with Thu Do Multimedia to find new solutions to this “hot potato” problems.

Sharing after the conference, the electronic newspaper vietnamplus.vn also had an article with the same opinion:

Vietnam ranks third in Southeast Asia in terms of copyright infringement in the digital environment, but according to per capita, the violation rate in Vietnam currently leads the region, according to a survey by Media Partners Asia.

Currently, in Vietnam, up to 80% of copyright violations take place on digital platforms, causing losses of 348 million USD in 2022 (equivalent to 7,000 billion VND). 

That is the information lawyer Pham Thanh Thuy gave in the discussion “Solving the problem of copyright protection for the music, film, and digital television industries” taking place on September 26 in Hanoi.

Difficulty in blocking pirated websites

The strategy for developing Vietnam’s cultural industries to 2020, with a vision to 2030, approved by the Prime Minister on September 8, 2016, affirmed: Development cultural industries based on creativity, creation, science, technology, and intellectual copyright. At the same time, in the cultural industry, good implementation of copyright and related rights protection will contribute to increasing creative motivation and bringing fairness in the treatment of creative achievements.

With many years of experience working in the field of copyright and currently in charge of combating copyright infringement on K+ Television, lawyer Pham Thanh Thuy believes that forms of copyright infringement are increasingly sophisticated and complex.

“Copyrighted English Premier League football matches appear widely on the Internet. If 15.5 million pirated views convert 10% into legal subscribers, the amount of money earned will be huge. With this money we can reinvest in more valuable products, and buy better sports programs and movies,” Ms. Pham Thanh Thuy stated.

‘Knock and Talk’-An effective way to prevent movie piracy

According to Ms. Thuy, about 10 years ago, .vn domain names could be easily handled, but today, owners of pirated websites are much smarter. They use domain names originating from abroad and can easily change domain names when blocked.

That is why copyright-infringing websites broadcasting movies, music, and football programs such as Xoilac, Phimmoi… constantly generate new addresses, which are very difficult to handle.

Mr. Pham Hoang Hai, Director of the Digital Content Copyright Center at the Department of Broadcasting and Electronic Information (Ministry of Information and Communications), concurred with the aforementioned viewpoint. Mr. Hai mentioned that from August 2022 to August 2023, nearly 1,000 websites for watching “pirated” football were blocked. However, the State agency’s management tool is inadequate because it lacks flexibility in blocking and “evicting” those using new domain names.

Use AI ‘shield’

At the seminar, many experts said that new technical solutions are needed to improve the management capabilities of state agencies.

Lawyer Pham Thanh Thuy believes that management agencies can apply proactive IP blocking tools (Dynamic Site Blocking), which is currently effective in the UK.

IP addresses provide the identity of devices connected to the network, helping devices on the Internet distinguish and recognize each other, thereby being able to communicate with each other. Accordingly, when a pirated website’s IP address is blocked for the first time, network service providers (ISPs) can proactively block additional domain names without having to repeat administrative procedures.

According to lawyer Thuy, in addition to existing measures such as administrative, civil, and criminal handling, management agencies also need to update and supplement new technical measures.

“If you want to handle civil or criminal matters, you must identify the owner of the pirated website, prove the damage to the copyright holders as well as the amount of illegal profits earned by businesses such as K+ Television and BHD. … do not have enough authority and function to verify. Therefore, copyright lawsuits are often lengthy and ineffective,” the lawyer said.

Sharing the solution, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Han, General Director of Thu Do Multimedia, proposed the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in copyright protection, affirming that this is a new, more comprehensive “shield”.

That is the Sigma Active Observer (SAO) tool, which uses advanced artificial intelligence algorithms to detect and review all data exchange activities during the content distribution process on the Internet.

Accordingly, SAO ensures content is not violated by border violations, VPN (virtual private network) exploitation, and packet tampering and protects exclusive content. The defense mechanism through SAO helps prevent unauthorized access, and minimizes loss of revenue when content is compromised and freely distributed on the internet.

In addition, SAO not only protects but also observes and provides warnings against threats, bringing proactiveness to content providers.

Speaking at the seminar, Mr. Dinh Tien Dung, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Information, Ministry of Information and Communications, also emphasized that the issue of content copyright protection, especially in the current digital transformation context, is facing numerous challenges. There have been many conferences and seminars discussing this issue, which highlights the keen interest of creative and digital content businesses in addressing this matter.

According to Mr. Dung, the relevant authorities in Vietnam are demonstrating a strong sense of responsibility in protecting the copyright of cultural and industrial products and adhering to the international commitments and conventions that Vietnam is a part of. State management agencies are also making efforts to amend legal texts and introduce supplementary regulations related to this matter.

Mr. Dung pointed out that content management on the Internet is currently overseen by three regulatory agencies: the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. Consequently, the handling of copyright infringement cases often involves lengthy administrative processes.

Mr. Dung also emphasized the need to expedite the process of blocking and removing copyright-infringing content. If the handling of such content takes place within a 10-15 minute timeframe, when it has only garnered a few dozen views, then the content management efforts can be effective. However, if a copyright-violating channel has already amassed millions of views, the intervention becomes less effective.

In proposing solutions, Mr. Dung suggests that agencies should share data to enhance coordination more effectively. Additionally, he recommends that penalties and fines be enforced more strictly. Mr. Dung cited an example where the highest administrative fine imposed thus far is 150 million VND (Vietnamese Dong), whereas a pirated website broadcasting football matches and organizing online sports betting can potentially generate billions of VND in revenue.

For more: vietnamplus.vn