BBC Studios joins IBCAP anti-piracy coalition
February 2, 2022
By Colin Mann
Anti-piracy organisation the International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) has confirmed that BBC Studios, representing the BBC Group, will join as a member of IBCAP. As part of its membership, IBCAP will play an instrumental role in protecting the BBC’s channels against piracy in the US, including: BBC One; BBC Two; BBC Three; BBC Four; BBC News; BBC World News; CBBC and CBeebies.
“Television piracy causes financial harm to the British creative industry, depriving UK producers and broadcasters of income for future investment,” stated Diane Hamer, Head of Business & Legal Affairs Content and Brand Protection for BBC Studios. “As BBC Studios continues to distribute valuable content in the US and around the world, to return value to its parent company, the British Broadcasting Corporation, it will work with IBCAP to help monitor for infringement and stand as the initial bulwark against piracy. The relationship between IBCAP and BBC Studios enables both parties to collect evidence, share information, enhance detection, and implement comprehensive and coordinated strategies to disrupt piracy in the US.”
BBC Studios joins a coalition that has successfully shut down some of the largest pirate services in the US. IBCAP’s state-of-the-art anti-piracy lab monitors over 250 different pirate set-top boxes and all major pirate websites, apps and social media platforms. In addition to these distribution platforms, the coalition’s enforcement efforts also effectively remove additional sales channels, including local ‘brick and mortar’ shops and online retailers.
“Leveraging our success to date, IBCAP continues to expand its membership by offering the benefits of our world-class anti-piracy lab and highly successful strategies against pirate services that have significantly impacted our members’ business,” said Chris Kuelling, Executive Director of IBCAP. “Acting as a coalition, rather than individually, has proven to be not only cost effective, but also highly successful in reducing piracy of our members’ content. We welcome BBC Studios as our newest member and are thrilled to now have them as part of our coalition.”