If you have spent any time in cyberspace, you must have heard about “Digital Piracy ” or “Online Piracy”. It is a form of copyright infringement that includes dramas, music, books, video games, and software. Almost one-fourth of global internet bandwidth is devoted to illegal activities. Many people call it a victimless crime by the “pirates”.
Not only do artists, creators, distributors, and publishers suffer from this cybercrime, but the entire media industry is adversely affected. Starting from significant financial losses to reputation damage. In addition, it can cause harm to end-users and damage the video service providers’ reputation.
What is Online Piracy?
Piracy on the internet is the act of replicating, distributing, or selling copyrighted content and intellectual property without consent from the rights holder. And it is an illegal act that violates federal copyright laws. It can land scammers and internet users involved in steep fines and imprisonment.
Despite the clear legal prohibitions against piracy, content owners face significant challenges in addressing this issue. According to Dataprot, the illegal downloading and uploading of copyrighted content consumes 24% of global bandwidth. As much as 80% of piracy on the internet comes from illegal streaming services. They even get more than 230 billion views per year.
This is in line with what happened in South Korea. According to a 2023 Statista survey, approximately 51% of respondents reported consuming illegal media at least once a week. A separate Statista survey found that 26% of respondents had pirated broadcast shows at least once in their lives.
Why is Online Piracy a Problem?
Piracy on the internet can be detrimental to the growth of the entertainment industry. There are thousands of illegal streaming sites, where anyone can access and download various forms of stolen content.
While some argue that piracy can serve as a form of word-of-mouth marketing, numerous studies have demonstrated that the negative impacts far outweigh any potential benefits. It erodes audience trust, discourages the production of new content, and creates complex legal challenges.
The impact of digital piracy extends far beyond the economic sector, affecting a wide range of individuals and industries involved in the media ecosystem. And what types of content are frequently illegally copied or distributed online?
Virtually any type of content can be illegally copied, but video content is especially vulnerable to unauthorized distribution. According to statistics, the entertainment industry is projected to lose a significant amount of revenue due to online piracy. In 2022 alone, the estimated loss for global film and TV revenues is expected to reach 51.6 billion US dollars.
South Korea’s cultural impact has expanded considerably, reaching the seventh rank among 85 countries in 2022. The Korean content industry, comprising dramas, films, and pop music, has proven to be a significant contributor to the nation’s economic growth.
However, the emergence of piracy sites with overseas servers disrupts the healthy ecosystem of the content industry. For example, NuNu TV has caused a loss of approximately five trillion won to the industry. The sophisticated digital technology behind the piracy action makes it difficult for the government to track and block sites.
If you want to protect your content, Am Badar & Am Badar can help you. To find out more about our copyright services, visit our services page, our insights page, or contact us directly.
Korean Drama Online Piracy Case
Despite their worldwide appeal, dramas from South Korea remain a prime target for digital piracy. There have been several high-profile cases of digital piracy, especially in video. For example, Netflix’s new zombie apocalypse series, “All of Us Are Dead” has fallen victim to illegal distribution in China.
The scammers changed its name to “Zombie Campus” in Mandarin. They sold it to Taobao, a major online shopping platform, for 5 Chinese yuan. The illegal copy has been purchased more than 2,000 times through various services with file-sharing formats.
“All of Us Are Dead” is not the only drama to be affected by piracy. Other popular series like “Squid Game,” “Hellbound,” “Space Sweepers,” and “Kingdom: Ashin of the North” have also been illegally distributed.
The unavailability of Netflix in China, combined with factors such as weak intellectual property protection, technological limitations, and lack of consumer awareness, has created a fertile ground for scammers to exploit the demand for global films, series, and dramas.
How to Prevent Your Work From Online Piracy
Preventing digital asset piracy requires a multi-pronged approach. Here are the best ways to protect your work from cybercrime.
1. Implement DRM
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is the most powerful method in video streaming technology to prevent piracy. It uses super-advanced video encryption technology to protect the rights holders from unauthorized manipulation. By implementing DRM, you can secure your intellectual property.
2. Apply Watermarks
Applying watermarks to every video content you upload to the internet is the easiest and most effective way. Static watermarks stay in one place. Dynamic watermarks, on the other hand, can be personalized for each platform or viewer—preventing multiple illegal claims by including personal information.
3. Raise Awareness
Ensure your audience is aware of the negative impacts of consuming illegal content. Then, help them identify fake content that may have been circulating to them. Communicating prices, promotions, discounts, release dates, interesting facts, and other information about your content will help your audience avoid pirated content.
4. Take Legal Action
Do not be afraid to report digital piracy to law enforcement. It creates an official record of infringement on the internet, which can increase the chances of fake content being taken down.
5. Copyright Your Works
While your content is automatically protected by copyright, copyrighting works make it easier to monitor and address infringement online. Then you can take it down when it happens.
Conclusion
Any form of content is always at risk of being stolen and pirated online. To combat online piracy, you need to learn as much as possible about it. However, it may be confusing for you because this copyright infringement requires a comprehensive understanding.
If you want to make sure your content is protected 24/7, Am Badar & Am Badar can help you. For more information about Copyright Services, including dispute resolution and copyright recordation, visit our website and read our insights page. If you want a professional consultation, contact us today!
