The first International Seminar on IP Protection & Audiovisual Internet Piracy in Africa, took place in Abidjan, Ivory Coast .in partnership with Association Convergence Audiovisuelle and Canal+ Group, with the support of the French Development Agency (AFD).
Its 60 participants included judicial authorities, government officials, intellectual property specialists, lawyers and other stakeholders, who discussed the ongoing challenges and threats of piracy and identified strategic solutions to better protect creators, consumers and everyone working in the audiovisual sector. Targeted workshops held by leading practitioners in IP protection also offered hands-on expertise, tactics and best practices.
The other ACE-supported event was the International Forum on Copyright Enforcement in Manila in mid-November, part of the IP Enforcement Summit, which was co-hosted by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR) of the Philippines, and the Korea Copyright Protection Agency (KCOPA), which was attended by more than 70 government officials and content industry representatives.
Attendees discussed ways to curb digital piracy, effective consumer messaging and the efficacy of site blocking, setting the stage for the launch of IPOPHL’s site blocking program.
“The Voluntary Site Blocking Mechanism will cause significant disruption of access to pirated sites and protect the creativity that drives our economy,” said Director General Rowel Barba of IPOPHL. “Our collective goal is to strike a balance between the rights of creators and the needs of consumers while fostering an environment that encourages the continued production of original and high-value content and respect of IP.”
Further reading
First-ever International Semiar on IP Protection & Audiovisual Internet Piracy held in Ivory Coast. Press release. December 7, 2023. Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE)
Governments of South Korea and the Philippines join ACE to co-host International Copyright Enforcement Forum. Press release. December 4, 2023. Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE)
Why it matters
Africa represents a host of piracy challenges that are unique to that continent, and it is important to have anti-piracy advocacy located within that region, supported by global copyright advocacy groups like ACE and the MPA. Convergence is an African association that defends intellectual property. Its main focus is the fight against piracy, a major obstacle to creative development with disastrous economic, social and cultural consequences. Canal Plus is taking a leadership role as a producer and distributor of French-language programming in these markets; many of which use French as their national language.
The Manila conference showcased the Philippines’ Voluntary Site Blocking Mechanism, which “will cause significant disruption of access to pirated sites and protect the creativity that drives our economy,” said Director General Rowel Barba of IPOPHL. “Our collective goal is to strike a balance between the rights of creators and the needs of consumers while fostering an environment that encourages the continued production of original and high-value content and respect of IP.”
