Yahoo News Motion Picture Association and Korea Copyright Protection Partner to Quash Asia-Pacific Digital Piracy
The Korea Copyright Protection Agency (KCOPA) and the Motion Picture Association (MPA), which established Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) as its content-protection arm and anti-piracy coalition, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on June 28 in a joint effort to fight digital theft in the Asia-Pacific region.
The agreement outlines that KCOPA and ACE will work together to bring awareness to intellectual property rights and provide actionable information on digital piracy, which, while long an issue, has become a rampant global problem now attributed to the ever-expanding number of subscription streaming services.
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The two agencies will convene once a year to exchange information on piracy trends, challenges and solutions, as well as co-host training and awareness events to teach attendees about the types ad frequency of piracy taking place within the Asia-Pacific region.
The agreement was signed by KCOPA president Jung Youl Park and Karyn Temple, senior executive VP and general counsel for the MPA. “Today’s MOU serves as a symbolic opportunity for KCOPA and MPA/ACE to cooperate on expanding the network to deter and combat copyright infringement of entertainment content, not only in the Asia-Pacific region but also around the world,” Park said.
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“The two organizations plan to continue cooperating on various copyright protection issues to increase synergies in copyright enforcement through the use of mutual networks and to support the continued growth of the creative content industry,” he added.
Jan van Voorn, the MPA’s executive VP of global content protection and head of ACE, echoed the dangers of content theft. “Online piracy in the APAC region continues to threaten jobs, put consumers at risk of malware, undermine investment, reduce tax contributions to governments and stifle creativity,” he said. “By signing this MOU with KCOPA, we are signaling a new era for content protection in the Asia-Pacific region.
“I am confident that together, KCOPA and ACE will make significant strides in preventing and reducing the distribution of pirated content on a regional and worldwide basis, ensuring that consumers can enjoy their favorite television series and films safely and legally.”
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