Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance publishes first Manifesto
October 4, 2024 12.01 Europe/London By Julian Clover

The Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAPA) has called on legislators to introduce data driven legislation and meaningful non-compliance penalties to combat live content piracy.


Publishing its first manifesto, the document aims to recognise past efforts of EU legislators in content protection and the fight against copyright infringement. It also says more “can and should” be done to address the issue.

Miruna Herovanu, Executive Director of AAPA said: ” After years of laying the groundwork to combat online piracy it’s time for EU policymakers and beyond to fully acknowledge that decisive, targeted measures are needed at the European level. The rise of digital theft demands action. We call for strong political resolve to end the theft of our members’ content. We’re ready to support every stakeholder – law enforcement, policymakers, and industry representatives – to dismantle criminal networks and protect European consumers from harm.”

According to AAPA, in 2021, pay-TV operators incurred losses amounting to €3.21 billion due to piracy, with estimated gains for illegal operators reaching €1 billion in the same year. It says this represents only a fraction of the time.

The 5 Key Points of the AAPA Manifesto

Introduce innovative data driven legislation to combat live content piracy in 2025 and meaningful non-compliance penalties
Strengthen the enforcement of the Digital Services Act to ensure that what is illegal offline is illegal online.
Harmonize EU-level protection for audiovisual content to robust investment in original content and grassroots sport
Tailor solutions to address piracy issues for key entities overlooked by previous legislation, including Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) and reverse proxies.
Continue to represent a unified voice against anti-piracy with intermediaries willing to engage towards the betterment of the online environment.
Further Information

Download the Manifesto

https://cdn.website-editor.net/s/e50..._AAPA_A4_5.pdf