ACE Statement on Conviction of Illicit IPTV Operators in Germany
BRUSSELS – The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) applauds the criminal court in Stuttgart, Germany for sentencing the four operators of a pirate IPTV service for copyright infringement and commercial gang fraud. ACE also commends the Esslingen police for its investigation. ACE had filed a claim to support the ongoing criminal prosecution against the operators.
Three of the operators received prison sentences ranging between 3 years and 9 months, and 2 years and 10 months. The fourth received a suspended prison sentence of 1 year and 11 months. All four have agreed to pay compensation to the damaged rightsowners. The conviction upholds the intellectual property rights of content creators and sets an example of the consequences piracy operators face for violating copyright law.
The following is a statement from Larissa Knapp, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer for the Motion Picture Association (MPA):
“The sentencing confirms Germany’s firm stance against copyright infringement. The Motion Picture Association congratulates the Stuttgart criminal court and the Esslingen police for sending a strong message to criminal operators that running an illegal IPTV business can and will land them in prison. Copyright infringement is not a victimless crime, in fact, it’s the people who work tirelessly as caterers, set builders, production assistants and camera operators, among others, whose livelihoods are threatened each time video content is pirated. ACE remains committed to assisting local law enforcement and the criminal justice system in Germany in the fight to protect the creative marketplace and the rights of content creators all over the world. We look forward to future collaborations with the German authorities.”
The group operated the German-language IPTV service since 2006, initially focusing on satellite piracy before expanding into the illegal IPTV business. The service boasted an extensive library consisting of 24,830 movies, 23,730 TV episodes, and a comprehensive range of TV channels.
About The Motion Picture Association
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) serves as the leading voice and advocate of the motion picture, home video, and television industries. It works in every corner of the globe to advance the creative industry, protect its members’ content across all screens, defend the creative and artistic freedoms of storytellers, and support innovative distribution models that bring an expansion of viewing choices to audiences around the world. Its member studios are Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO.
About The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) is the world’s leading coalition dedicated to protecting the legal creative market and reducing digital piracy. Driven by a comprehensive approach to addressing piracy through criminal referrals, civil litigation, and cease-and-desist operations, ACE has achieved many successful global enforcement actions against illegal streaming services and unauthorized content sources and their operators. Drawing upon the collective expertise and resources of more than 50 media and entertainment companies around the world—including sports channels and associations—and reinforced by the Motion Picture Association’s content protection operations, ACE protects the creativity and innovation that drives the global growth of core copyright and entertainment industries. The current governing board members for ACE are Amazon, Apple TV+, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE.
Media Contact:
Pamela Corante
pamela_corante@motionpictures.org