Lenka Hrivnáková, Author at The Association of Commercial Television

JOINT LETTER FROM ASSOCIATIONS ON TRANSPARENCY AND LABELING IN THE FIELD OF AI

Dear Executive-Vice President Henna Virkkunen,

We are writing on behalf of associations representing the audio and audiovisual media community in Europe. Our members produce and distribute trusted media content across the EU, contributing significantly to media pluralism and serving as a credible counterweight to disinformation. We welcome the Commission’s efforts to provide clarity on the transparency obligations under Article 50 AI Act. However, we have serious concerns about several aspects of the draft Guidelines that risk producing outcomes that are disproportionate, technically un
workable and ultimately counterproductive.

Our overarching concern is that the draft guidelines adopt an overly broad interpretation of the provisions in article 50(4), (5) and article 3 No. 60. Therefore, we urge for the following amendments to the guidelines.

• Narrow and clarify the deepfake definition (para. 107-109): Limit it to content pre senting an actual risk of deception instead of extending onto merely “realistic” content. Explicitly exclude fictitious, non-deceptive content as well as minor con tent or technical adjustments.

• Clarify timing of disclosure to avoid persistent labelling (para. 132): Avoid continuous or persistent labelling obligations across content that would compromise audience engagement.

• Ensure proportionate and technically workable labelling standards that account for human perceptual limits and avoid a “banner blindness” effect.

As currently drafted, the guidelines would generate excessive and unsustainable over-la belling across a broad range of professional media content. Complying with all require ments would effectively mean that a permanent label must be displayed, even in low-risk environments. This outcome would entail substantial technical and operational burdens and – more importantly – undermine audiences’ trust in media by creating the perception of unreliability through visual clutter rather than genuine concern. This is particularly concerning, given that media service providers already operate under strict standards, ensuring regulatory oversight and human editorial responsibility. First, the deepfake definition in the draft guidelines far exceeds the scope foreseen in the AI Act. By equating the criterion of “existing” with a broader notion of “realistic” content, the guidelines depart significantly from the text and intent of Article 3(60). Similarly, by assessing audience impact against the most easily misled viewer rather than an average recipient, the draft lowers the standard far below that applied in Article 50(1) and the Commission’s established practice.

Taken together, these choices would extend the labelling obligation to content that is clearly fictitious or non-deceptive, generating legal uncertainty, undermining the risk based approach of the AI Act and producing systemic over-labelling. The definition and related obligations should not extend to content that is clearly fictitious or unrealistic and does not create genuine confusion about authenticity. Furthermore, not only minor technical but also minor content adjustments should be excluded from the notion of deep fake.

Secondly, the Guidelines misread the timing rule foreseen in the AI Act. Article 50(5 fixes the latest moment for disclosure. It does not create a continuous obligation. The reading in paragraph 132 that deepfakes must be labelled persistently or at later stages of a live broadcast is therefore disproportionate and has no basis in the law. This affects audiovisual as well as audio content, where persistent or repeated disclosure is particularly im practical and risks disrupting the listening experience. The guidelines themselves acknowledge the risk of “banner blindness”: labelling large volumes of non-deceptive content will desensitise audiences, undermining the transparency objective in precisely the cases where it matters most.

The Guidelines, as drafted, risk achieving the opposite of their stated objective: rather than building audience trust in AI transparency, they would flood viewers with labels on non-deceptive content, eroding the very signal they are meant to convey. Targeted adjust ments to the deepfake definition and the implementation/labelling requirements and the allocation of responsibility are essential to ensure the Guidelines are both legally sound and workable in practice. We would welcome the opportunity to jointly discuss and further elaborate on this matter
with you and your team at your convenience.

Yours sincerely

Signatories (in alphabetical order):

1. Arbeitsgemeinschaft Privater Rundfunk (APR)
2. Asociace komerčních televizí (AKTV)
3. Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe (ACT)
4. Association of European Radios (AER)
5. European Association of Television and Radio Sales Houses (egta)
6. European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
7. Verband Österreichischer Privatsender (VÖP)
8. Verband Privater Medien (VAUNET)

PRIMA IS LAUNCHING A SPORTS CHANNEL. IT HAS BEEN GRANTED A LICENCE FOR PRIMA SPORT

The Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting has granted FTV Prima a licence to operate a new nationwide sports channel, Prima sport, for a period of 12 years. The channel is to be available both via digital terrestrial broadcasting and online.

The Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting (RRTV) has granted FTV Prima a licence to operate the new television channel Prima sport. The licence is valid for 12 years and covers both nationwide digital broadcasting via transmitters and distribution via special transmission systems, including the internet.

According to the RRTV’s decision, Prima sport may broadcast as a themed sports channel aimed at a Czech audience, with Czech as its main language of broadcast. The channel is to be available for between 15 and 24 hours a day.

The broadcaster has been interested in entering the sports broadcasting market for some time and has, in the past, considered acquisitions or partnerships in the field of sports rights. According to information from MediaGuru.cz, there is also the option of linking up with the existing Sporty TV project, which broadcasts on the nationwide DVB-T2 network. Part of the team behind this project could move to Prima, and the channel itself could then be established building on existing sports content and infrastructure.

According to this information, the launch of the new channel could take place in the coming weeks. The Prima Group could officially unveil it at its traditional press conference on the autumn programme schedule, which usually takes place during the summer.

The Prima Group has repeatedly expressed an interest in expanding its portfolio of themed channels in the past. However, plans to launch the Prima Case and Prima Port channels ultimately fell through.

The group’s then-CEO, Marek Singer, had previously commented on the possible launch of a sports channel, stating that its implementation was contingent upon securing a suitable partnership. The sports channel thus now represents the next step in the gradual expansion of the Prima Group’s thematic channels.

Source: mediaguru.cz

ITALIAN POLICE DISMANTLE IPTV PIRACY NETWORK SERVING 2,800 SUBSCRIBERS

Italian authorities have dismantled three illegal IPTV distribution centres in the southern city of Crotone as part of a wider anti-piracy operation targeting unauthorised access to premium television services.

The investigation, led by the Guardia di Finanza with support from specialist anti-fraud and technology units, identified four individuals allegedly involved in distributing illegal subscriptions that provided access to content from leading pay television and streaming platforms.

According to investigators, the operation served at least 2,769 identified customers across 43 Italian provinces.

Authorities said the suspects operated a network of IPTV services known locally as “pezzotto”, a term commonly used in Italy to describe illegal streaming systems that provide unauthorised access to subscription television channels.

The four suspects are facing allegations including copyright infringement, intellectual property offences and self-laundering. Investigators have seized assets worth approximately €650,000, representing the estimated proceeds generated by the operation.

The investigation reportedly identified payments referencing “Ibo Player Pro”, an IPTV player application that can be installed on smart TVs, smartphones and computers and is commonly used to access streaming services.

Italian authorities said the operation reflected the increasingly organised structure of piracy networks, which typically involve “head providers” operating source servers, intermediaries acting as resellers and end users purchasing subscriptions.

According to investigators, subscription packages were sold for between €10 and €40 depending on the content offered, with customer support also provided to subscribers experiencing technical difficulties.

Andrea Duilio, Sky Italia CEO said:

“I would like to thank the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Crotone and the Crotone Financial Police for this latest Anti-Piracy operation, which confirms the law enforcement agencies’ ongoing commitment to protecting those who choose to act lawfully and the ability to identify pirate users. This is an important step in combating the sense of impunity that still surrounds this phenomenon and in reminding users of these services that they are exposing themselves not only to fines and penalties, but also to scams, theft of personal data and cyber threats.”

The Guardia di Finanza said identified users of the service will now face administrative penalties. Under Italian anti-piracy legislation, fines can range from €154 to €5,000, with higher penalties available for repeat offenders.

The latest action forms part of Italy’s wider crackdown on IPTV piracy, which has intensified since the introduction of new anti-piracy measures and enforcement powers designed to protect sports broadcasters and premium content providers.

Italy has become one of Europe’s most active markets in pursuing both suppliers and users of illegal IPTV services, with rights holders, broadcasters and law enforcement agencies increasingly coordinating anti-piracy operations.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

GOOGLE AND LALIGA REPORT PROGRESS IN ANTI-PIRACY PARTNERSHIP

Google and LALIGA have reported significant progress in their anti-piracy efforts after expanding cooperation throughout the 2025/26 football season.The two organisations said closer collaboration had improved communication processes and accelerated the handling of infringement notifications submitted by the Spanish football league, resulting in a substantial reduction in incidents linked to Google services over the course of the season.

The partnership forms part of LALIGA’s wider strategy of working with major technology companies to tackle online piracy and protect intellectual property rights. The league has made anti-piracy enforcement a central pillar of its commercial strategy as it seeks to protect the value of its domestic and international media rights.

Google said the results demonstrate the effectiveness of its existing reporting and content protection tools when combined with direct cooperation between rights holders and technology platforms.

“For Google, respect for intellectual property rights and the provision of a safe digital environment are fundamental pillars,” said Lino Cattaruzzi, President of Google Iberia. “This close collaboration with LALIGA demonstrates that, through proactive communication and the proper use of our reporting channels across our products, it is possible to provide content creators with highly effective, agile and transparent technical solutions.”

LALIGA President Javier Tebas said the partnership had strengthened the league’s ability to combat piracy and protect rights holders.

“LALIGA remains firmly committed to the fight against piracy. Collaboration is essential to putting an end to this scourge, and being able to count on major players such as Google strengthens us in our purpose,”

he said.

The announcement comes as sports rights holders continue to intensify efforts against illegal streaming services. LALIGA has been among the most aggressive organisations globally in pursuing anti-piracy measures, working with technology providers, internet service providers and law enforcement agencies to disrupt unauthorised distribution of live football content.

The league said the cooperation with Google demonstrates how coordinated action between rights holders and technology platforms can provide a more sustainable approach to content protection than enforcement measures alone.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

THEY TOLD HIM NOT TO DO IT. YET THE YOUNG MAN FROM THE ČESKOKRUMLOV AREA SHARED THE SPORTS MATCH

Sportlive24.tv is seeking compensation of over half a million crowns from a 19-year-old man from the Český Krumlov area who, in May, filmed and subsequently shared the company’s martial arts broadcast on his Facebook profile. The young man reportedly did not let himself be deterred from broadcasting, despite warnings in the comments.

“During the unauthorised broadcast, the individual in question was repeatedly warned in the comments section under the live stream on Facebook by the official Sportlive24.tv profile that he was infringing broadcasting rights,” said the company’s director, Jiří Hendrych.

He mentioned that the young man did not respond to this warning, deleted the comments and blocked the Sportlive24.tv profile. “From our perspective, therefore, it cannot be said that he was unaware of the nature of his actions, or that he did not know he was broadcasting content without the rights holder’s consent,” added Hendrych.

He confirmed that the company would claim the full amount of damages, approximately 600,000 crowns. “The loss of earnings is calculated for every single person who watched the broadcast recorded by the accused. We are legally entitled to this money and we will seek to recover it. We hope this will deter others who might want to film and share such broadcasts,” said Hendrych.

He emphasised that the company would take this approach in all similar cases. “No one is anonymous on the internet, and everyone should be aware of their own responsibility,” added Hendrych.

The young man paid for the broadcast on the aforementioned platform and then recorded it on his mobile phone on the night of 27 May. At least 1,900 people watched his live stream. The police have charged him with the criminal offence of infringing copyright, rights related to copyright and database rights. In addition to paying damages, he faces up to two years in prison.

Source: novinky.cz

EUROPOL-BACKED OPERATION DISMANTLES ILLEGAL STREAMING NETWORKS

A major international law enforcement operation has dismantled 9 organised crime groups behind illegal streaming services.

Operation KRATOS 2, coordinated by Bulgaria with support from Europol, ran from September 2025 to April 2026 and targeted criminal networks distributing unauthorised access to premium sports, film and television content. The operation resulted in 29 arrests, 86 suspects identified and 148 house searches. Authorities also removed 27,332 illegal streaming URLs and reported 169 domains.

Europol said the investigation focused not only on taking down websites, but on disrupting the wider criminal ecosystem behind illegal IPTV and streaming platforms. The groups used complex technical infrastructure, separating customer-facing websites from servers hosting illegal content and distributing operations across several countries to avoid detection.

Investigators identified 722,961 infringing objects, while cooperation with private sector partners helped uncover 4,370 new piracy-linked domains, 18,331 associated IP addresses and 397,384 URLs for suspension or removal.

Europol co-led operational coordination with Bulgaria’s General Directorate Combating Organised Crime, supporting intelligence exchange, cross-border cooperation and technical analysis. Participating countries included Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, the UK and the US. Europol worked with audiovisual and anti-piracy partners including AAPA, ACE/MPA, LALIGA, UEFA, Friend MTS, beIN Media Group and Irdeto.

Authorities warned that illegal streaming services expose users not only to copyright infringement, but also to malware, spyware, data theft and other cybersecurity risks.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

DIGIMEDIA: ONEPLAY IS PREPARING AN ADVERTISING PACKAGE, IVYSÍLÁNÍ IS LOOKING FOR A MODEL, ÓČKO REMAINS WITH MAFRA

Oneplay is preparing to launch an advertising package and will provide data on user behaviour, Czech Television is exploring options for user registration on iVysílání, and Óčko remains under the ownership of the Mafra media group. These topics were also discussed at Wednesday’s Digimedia conference.

The development of digital platforms, content personalisation, the sale of archives to commercial services and the transformation of the TV advertising market were among the topics at the Digimedia 2026 conference, which took place on Wednesday at Kavčí Hory. The discussion confirmed that the boundaries between traditional linear broadcasting and internet platforms are blurring, which brings new challenges in the areas of copyright and legislation.

The expansion of the Oneplay platform and the ad-supported tariff

According to Lucie Oravčíková, Digital Director at TV Nova, the joint Oneplay platform, created by merging the services of Voyo and O2 TV, continues to maintain its position as market leader ahead of global giant Netflix and is showing sustained growth. Although representatives of TV Nova declined to confirm the exact number of subscribers or disclose specific viewing figures for individual titles, they are satisfied with the project’s progress.

“The only thing I can confirm is that we are still ahead of Netflix and that we are growing,” said Oravčíková, adding that the data is based on internal surveys.

In terms of advertising sales, Oneplay is preparing to launch a new supplementary package that will include adverts and offer a more affordable alternative for a wider range of viewers. Unlike the competing platform prima+, however , Nova does not plan to introduce several different levels of advertising intensity and will maintain a clear distinction between a paid version with and without adverts. “It will simply be a supplementary tariff, just like Netflix and other streaming services have,” confirmed Oravčíková, ruling out the possibility of introducing advertising across the board for all users. She did not specify when this might happen. It is likely to happen next year.

A major step forward in the digitalisation of the television market is the planned pilot project with the Association of Television Organisations (ATO), under which Oneplay will provide one-off real-time data on user behaviour. This big data should be used in the second half of the year to evaluate the accuracy of current people meter measurements and to potentially reduce the margin of error in socio-demographic samples. “We are certainly open to this, because, of course, the accuracy of the measurement would be almost one hundred per cent,” added Oravčíková.

Personalisation of public online services

Under the approved memorandum,Czech Television is analysing the technical and legal aspects of the potential introduction of mandatory user registration on its iVysílání service. According to Milan Fridrich, Director of Programming, Content and Digital Services, the aim is to gather arguments for the Czech Television Council and market partners, with the institution having a year left to complete these analyses. The whole process is complicated by the fact that, under the Czech system, the licence fee is paid by the household, not by a specific individual.

Viewer registration, which is currently optional, would enable Czech Television to better understand its audience through personalisation and recommendations, which is a standard tool in the commercial market for selling targeted advertising. Although the public service iVysílání does not object to these functions in principle, personalisation will not apply to news content as a matter of principle, to prevent users from being confined to echo chambers.

The sale of the ČT archive and the Disney case

A key topic of debate was the distribution of Czech Television’s content on commercial IPTV platforms and the sale of its programme library to streaming services. The public broadcaster faces a lack of understanding from viewers in situations where commercial operators offer catch-up viewing for several weeks, whilst iVysílání itself has on-demand rights limited to just seven days.

An extreme example is Disney content , which ČT can only broadcast linearly on the children’s channel Déčko, yet IPTV services retain it within their user-recorded content. Increased demand for content from Kavčí Hory has led to clear rules being set out in a memorandum, which allows the sale of older archive material to a maximum of three streaming platforms simultaneously.

For works from 2016 to 2021, a five-year protection window applies for linear broadcasters, with Oneplay, prima+ and Netflix showing the greatest interest in purchasing them. In addition, the broadcaster protects its so-called ‘Golden Fund’ of iconic series produced after 1992, which includes, for example, Devadesátky and Případy 1. oddělení, and these specific titles remain strictly off-limits for sale. According to him, revenues from the sale of archive rights amount to tens of millions of crowns a year.

For legal and reputational reasons, Czech Television does not plan to change the existing free ‘must-carry’ regime for cable and satellite TV operators. Fridrich pointed out that charging IPTV operators for the signal would mean that citizens would be paying twice for the same public service, which is indefensible from a management perspective. “At that point, it would mean that we would be putting pressure on commercial IPTV services, distributors and cable TV operators, demanding money from them, even though we are, in a sense, already paid for by the public,” noted Fridrich.

The strategy of small stations and the situation in the advertising market

Vladimír Pořízek, former commercial director of Prima, who now represents the Romanian media agency Thematic Channels, presented plans for the direct sale of advertising space on smaller thematic stations, such as the AMC group’s channels. Smaller TV stations have so far relied on Media Club’s sales packages, but becoming independent and selling directly to media agencies should bring them higher revenues and greater independence. “We sell directly to media agencies, we are able to sell directly to clients, and I believe this will certainly be the way forward,” said Pořízek.

The move by smaller players to go it alone is a response to a situation where the total number of advertising impressions with major TV groups is declining, which has led to a significant rise in advertising costs over the past three years. The aggressive pricing policy of the major TV networks has led to the TV market stagnating last year and even showing a slight decline in the first half of this year, Pořízek added. Investment in thematic channels, meanwhile, enables clients to reach a large audience quickly at a significantly lower cost.

Óčko remains with Mafra

Óčko’s CEO Štěpán Wolde confirmed that the music channel will remain within Media Club’s sales network for the time being, as the latter is fulfilling its obligations, though he remains open to future discussions regarding new commercial offers. Wolde also announced the stabilisation of Óčko’s position within the Mafra media group, thereby putting an end to long-standing speculation about the channel’s move to the Prima media group, and the conclusion of his personal involvement in the Cool Lab project under the Prima banner. “I increasingly feel that we are in a decathlon, and the worst thing about a decathlon is that you don’t know which sports they’ll pick for you next season,” he said.

Source: mediaguru.cz

POLICE SHUT DOWN UK ILLEGAL STREAMING DATA CENTRE

City of London Police have seized more than £1.2 million worth of equipment after shutting down a major illegal streaming data centre in Farnborough.

The operation was led by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), working with Sky, and disrupted thousands of illicit streams across the UK.

Police said the data centre hosted clusters of high-bandwidth servers used to supply illegal streams to many thousands of customers nationwide.

Two people were arrested in connection with the operation, while £700,000 was seized from one individual. Both have since been released under investigation.

Detective Sergeant Ben Hobbs of PIPCU said the size of the operation showed how widespread illegal streaming had become in the UK.

“We will continue to work closely with industry partners like Sky to disrupt these illegal streaming networks and protect consumers,” he said.

Sky’s group director of anti-piracy, Matt Hibbert, said illegal streaming was part of organised criminality that undermines the creative industries and posed risks to consumers.

Police and industry partners warned that illegal IPTV services can expose users to compromised devices, personal data theft, banking fraud and identity fraud.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

ACE WINS FRENCH RULING AGAINST SPLIIIT PASSWORD-SELLING SERVICE

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment has welcomed a ruling by the Paris Judicial Court against subscription-sharing platform Spliiit.

The ruling centres on Spliiit’s role in creating a marketplace for streaming subscriptions. The court found the company facilitated the resale of access to services including Apple TV+, Disney+ and Netflix by connecting subscribers with third parties, a practice it said breached the contractual terms governing those subscriptions.

ACE said the ruling confirms that Spliiit was engaged in illicit password selling, where commercial operators facilitate the unauthorised sale of streaming service login credentials to multiple users in return for commission.

The coalition stressed that the case was not about sharing passwords within a family, but about commercial exploitation of subscriptions in breach of platform terms.

The court found that sharing Apple, Netflix and Disney subscriptions with third parties solely for that purpose breached the contracts binding those subscribers.

Larissa Knapp, EVP and Chief Content Protection Officer at the Motion Picture Association, said services that turn subscription credentials into a marketplace “exploit creators, consumers, and legitimate platforms”.

The court also found Spliiit had misled consumers by claiming its service did not infringe copyright or violate platform terms of service.

ACE said the ruling supports its wider efforts to protect the legal market for creative content and reduce unauthorised access to streaming services.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

TV PIRACY IN GERMANY RISES SHARPLY, HITTING €2.4BN IN ANNUAL LOSSES

Illegal access to free-TV or pay-TV livestreams caused an estimated €2.4bn in economic damage in Germany last year, according to a new study published by industry association VAUNET.

The figure represents a 33% increase compared with the previous assessment in 2022, despite ongoing technical protections, court action and public‑awareness efforts.

The report, compiled by consultancy Goldmedia, estimates that the state missed out on around €542m in taxes and social‑security contributions in 2025, up nearly 40% on 2022. Media companies directly affected by piracy suffered losses of roughly €1.5bn, with further costs arising along the wider value chain.

Around 7.7 million people in Germany accessed illegal linear TV streams in 2025, the study found. Usage was highest among 16‑ to 33‑year‑olds, with almost three‑quarters of respondents saying illicit streams were the most convenient way to watch live television. At the same time, the authors note that willingness to use legal services increases when illegal alternatives are unavailable.

VAUNET Managing Director Frank Giersberg said the findings underline the scale of the problem:

“TV piracy remains a mass phenomenon with significant damage for media providers, media plurality and the public purse. We urgently need more effective tools to curb illegal TV use and protect media diversity.”

The association is calling for faster and clearer obligations for platforms and hosting services to remove unlawful content, more dynamic blocking measures that allow access providers to disrupt illegal live streams during broadcasts, and a more efficient allocation of responsibility so that rights holders can act against illegal services without first having to identify largely anonymous operators.

The study (PDF) is based on passive measurement of the online behaviour of more than 2,500 users, combined with a representative online survey of over 500 people who consume illegal linear TV streams. The survey was conducted between 4 and 16 June 2025. It focuses on illegally distributed free‑to‑air and pay‑TV streams; piracy involving downloads or video‑on‑demand content was not included.

The authors note that the actual extent of illegal use of linear TV streams is likely to be significantly higher than the survey results suggest, due to respondents under reporting socially undesirable behaviour.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

UK HIGH COURT INTRODUCES BROADER “OMNIBUS” PIRACY BLOCKING ORDER

The UK High Court has reportedly approved a new “omnibus” site-blocking order allowing rightsholders to move more quickly against piracy services that change domains or branding to evade enforcement.

The order, welcomed by the Motion Picture Association (MPA), is designed to reduce the need for repeated court applications each time pirate operators switch websites or launch mirror services. The move comes as piracy operators increasingly automate domain creation and use more agile infrastructure to avoid blocks.

While the judgment itself has not yet been published, reports indicate it stems from a May 7 High Court ruling in Columbia Pictures and others v British Telecommunications and others, filed in late 2025. According to industry reports, the case extends existing UK dynamic blocking powers beyond specific domains and even beyond “pirate brands”.

Previous UK Section 97A Copyright Act orders required rights holders to identify individual domains for blocking. A 2022 extension allowed action against mirror sites and related pirate brands. The new order reportedly goes further, permitting action against “structurally infringing audiovisual piracy services” meeting defined criteria, without fresh applications for every new site or domain.

The MPA said the order reflects the changing nature of piracy operations.

“Piracy operators often respond by quickly moving to new domains, copycat services, or rebranded websites. That constant ‘hopping’ undermines enforcement and forces rightsholders, courts and intermediaries into repetitive processes,”

the association said.

The development is linked to wider MPA proposals presented to WIPO ahead next month’s Advisory Committee on Enforcement meetings. The paper argues that modern anti-piracy systems should involve a wider range of intermediaries including ISPs, search engines, VPN providers, DNS resolvers, registrars and CDNs. It cites evidence suggesting ISP site blocking reduces traffic to piracy sites by an average of 89%, with stronger results reported in markets including Italy, France, Brazil and India.

The UK move mirrors broader European efforts. France’s Arcom last week published new agreements aimed at speeding cooperation between rights holders, search engines, DNS operators and VPN providers, while Italy has expanded use of rapid blocking under Piracy Shield and intensified enforcement actions against sports piracy networks.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

ITALY DISMANTLES €300 MILLION STREAMING PIRACY NETWORK

Italian authorities have dismantled a major streaming piracy operation centred on an application known as CINEMAGOAL, in a case that investigators say resulted in an estimated €300 million in losses to broadcasters and streaming platforms including Sky, DAZN, Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify.

The investigation, led by Italy’s Guardia di Finanza and prosecutors in Bologna, targeted what police described as a previously unseen piracy system. Unlike traditional IPTV operations based around illegal set-top boxes, the system used an app linked to foreign servers that illegally decrypted content streams.

Investigators said virtual machines operating continuously in Italy captured access credentials from legitimate subscriptions registered to fictitious users and retransmitted them every three minutes. The system reportedly avoided direct IP association, making detection harder for rights holders and platforms. Pirated subscriptions were sold for between €40 and €130 per year.

The operation extended beyond Italy. Working with Eurojust, authorities seized foreign servers holding decryption data and source code, while coordinated actions were carried out in France and Germany.

Italian authorities also uncovered use of traditional illegal streaming devices known locally as “pezzotto”. Around 1,000 identified users now face fines ranging from €154 to €5,000.

Andrea Duilio, Chief Executive Officer of Sky Italia, said:

“I would like to thank the Ravenna Financial Police and the Bologna Public Prosecutor’s Office for this significant anti-piracy operation, which demonstrates their growing effectiveness in combating even the most sophisticated technologies. Those who choose to stream content illegally not only line the pockets of criminal organisations with millions in profits, but also risk penalties and expose their personal data to theft and fraud.”

The case continues Italy’s increasingly aggressive anti-piracy campaign, particularly around sports rights. Earlier operations such as “Taken Down” and “Switch Off” shut down major IPTV services including IPTVItalia, migliorIPTV and DarkTV, with investigators claiming millions of users globally were affected. Those actions targeted illegal distribution of content from Sky, DAZN, Mediaset, Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and Paramount.

Italy has also introduced Piracy Shield, requiring rapid blocking of suspected piracy sources, although the system has faced criticism after accidental blocking incidents affecting legitimate services.

The latest action comes as regulators across Europe intensify anti-piracy efforts. On Thursday, France’s Arcom announced new measures aimed at improving cooperation between rights holders, search engines, DNS providers and VPN operators in tackling sports piracy.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com