Business
The Battle Against Piracy in Hollywood
Explore the ongoing challenges faced in Hollywood’s battle against piracy, as the industry continues to combat intellectual property theft and safeguard creative works.
Piracy Battle in Hollywood
In recent years, Hollywood has significantly improved its efforts to combat piracy. A recent example is the conviction of five individuals involved in operating Jetflicks, an illegal streaming site that offered a vast library of stolen TV shows and movies. Federal prosecutors noted that the content on Jetflicks surpassed the combined catalogs of major streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.
Evolution of Piracy
While Hollywood has made progress in hunting down pirates, these infringers have also evolved. They have shifted their operations overseas to avoid detection and are capitalizing on the growing popularity of streaming services to steal more content. This challenging landscape has prompted entertainment companies to enhance their antipiracy measures.
Intensified Antipiracy Efforts
Entertainment giants such as Netflix, Disney, NBCUniversal, and Warner Bros. Discovery are ramping up their antipiracy initiatives. They have hired Larissa L. Knapp, a former 27-year veteran of the FBI, to lead their antipiracy campaign. With a background in national security, counterterrorism, and cybersecurity, Ms. Knapp brings valuable expertise to the table.
Global Content Protection
As the new Executive Vice President and Chief of Global Content Protection at the Motion Picture Association, Larissa L. Knapp is spearheading the fight against piracy. Her extensive experience in investigating computer hacking and intellectual property crimes makes her a formidable asset in combating online theft. The industry’s focus has shifted from street vendors selling counterfeit DVDs to tackling sophisticated global organized crime networks.
“We’re a long way from guys on street corners selling counterfeit DVDs. This is global organized crime. The people stealing our movies and television shows are also involved with sex trafficking, money laundering — all the ills of society,” said Charles H. Rivkin, Chairman, and CEO of the Motion Picture Association.