ICA AND CREATIVE CONTENT AUSTRALIA
Content theft is no longer just kids sharing music or movies with friends. It’s the new frontier of organised crime and profits enormously at the expense of content creators, consumers and cinemas. A 2015 study reported that the top 600 pirate sites took more than US$227 million in advertising revenue – not one cent goes back to the content creators.
Global Impact of Illegal Recordings
More than 90% of newly released movies that appear illegally on the Internet and on the streets around the world originate from illegal copies being made in cinemas. Like every business, the motion picture industry relies on its profits to invest in future products. Movie theft results in fewer movies being financed, which means jobs are not created and local goods and services – such as tickets at your cinema – are not purchased. Movie theft is not a victimless crime, and you are one of the victims. Long before movie theft affects Hollywood, it robs local businesses of their livelihood and the capacity to provide local employment. People who steal movies are stealing money from every cinema… and that means fewer jobs. Cinema staff like you are the front line in the movie industry’s war against movie theft.
To report incidents of piracy, contact the Australian New Zealand Screen Association. Visit the ANZSA website.
Creative Content Australia
Creative Content Australia (formerly IP Awareness Foundation) is the film and television industry peak body for the promotion of copyright, creative rights, piracy research and education resources in Australia. Recognising that film theft is one of the most significant threats to the global film industry, ICA contributes to the funding of Creative Content Australia.
Creative Content Australia:
- Commissions independent research into the behaviours and attitudes of Australians to illegal downloading and streaming of screen content, to better inform the debate, dispel myths and motivate change
- Produces consumer awareness campaigns to play in cinemas and on television to inform Australians about online content theft
- Develops curriculum-linked educational resources for Australian schools to facilitate discussions about creativity and copyright. Visit the website www.nothingbeatstherealthing.info
Creative Content Australia reports on the latest piracy news and research and commissions exclusive copyright-related editorial from experts around the world through the Content Café platform. Visit Contentcafe.org.au to catch up on the latest news and sign up to the monthly newsletter https://contentcafe.org.au/
MPAA and NATO Announce Updated Theatrical Anti-theft Policy
The Motion Picture Association of America and the National Association of Theatre Owners have announced an update to their joint policy to prevent film theft in theatres. The update was made to fully integrate wearable tech into the rules following a joint meeting of NATO and MPAA theatrical anti-piracy teams at ShowEast, the annual industry convention and trade show in Hollywood, Florida. The updated language is:
NATO and the MPAA have a long history of welcoming technological advances and recognize the strong consumer interest in smart phones and wearable “intelligent” devices. As part of our continued efforts to ensure movies are not recorded in theaters, however, we maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward using any recording device while movies are being shown. As has been our long-standing policy, all phones must be silenced and other recording devices, including wearable devices, must be turned off and put away at show time. Individuals who fail or refuse to put the recording devices away may be asked to leave. If theater managers have indications that illegal recording activity is taking place, they will alert law enforcement authorities when appropriate, who will determine what further action should be taken.