Egyptian authorities have shut down the Laroza operation, the largest piracy site in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. Launched in 2021, Laroza was comprised of 25 domains that collectively logged more than 52 million monthly visits in the past six months.
The site provided illegal access to a content library of approximately 29,000 movies and TV series. Although the operation was based in Egypt, the infringed content was viewed all over the world, including the United States and Europe.
The law enfocement operation included 26 police officers and six local investigators, resulting in the arrest of two operators. It was the seventh major shutdown in the region in two years. Egyptian agencies collaborated with the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) in the police action. All members of the MPA’s Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) – more than 60 companies – had been impacted by Laroza.
Recapping MENA piracy shutdowns in 2022-2024
The Laroza action was the latest in a wave of milestone piracy shutdowns in MENA, carried out by Egyptian law enforcement over the past two years and supported by ACE; which included the January 2024 takedown of Cima4U, the region’s then-largest illegal piracy ring. Major takedowns in the MENA region since 2022 include:
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- Cima4U (Jan. 2024) – This Giza, Egypt-based illegal streaming service operated 498 domains, collectively attracting over 30 million monthly visits from 11.6 million unique visitors. The service offered more than 165,000 movie and TV series titles, impacting all ACE members.
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- Cimalight – Yalla Shoot (Nov. 2023) – The Cimalight network, consisting of 60 interconnected domains, attracted over 29 million monthly visits through its extensive catalog of pirated content, including movies, TV series episodes, and live sports. The arrest of the operator marked a significant step in combating illegal content distribution in the region.
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- CimaClub (Nov. 2023) – One of the largest piracy services in the MENA region, CimaClub operated 65 domains, attracting more than 29 million monthly visits. The service was a major distributor of pirated content, impacting all ACE members.
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- Movizland (June 2023) – Operating since 2012, Movizland attracted 12 million visits per month through various domains, offering a large collection of pirated TV series and movies. The arrest of the operator in Cairo marked an important step in curbing illegal content distribution in the region.
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- MyCima and Shahed4U (Feb. 2023) – Shahed4U, the largest piracy ring in the region at the time, attracted 155 million visits per month across 118 domains. The second-largest piracy operation in MENA at the time, MyCima averaged over 55 million visits per month across more than 70 domains.
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- Egybest Ring (Dec. 2022) – This ring of sites, the largest and oldest piracy operation in the MENA region, logged 122 million visits per month, setting the stage for subsequent actions against large-scale piracy operations in the region.
The Laroza domains are now redirected to ACE’s Watch Legally site.
Further reading
Egyptian authorities and ACE dismantle largest piracy site in Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region. Press release. September 11, 2024. Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), Motion Picture Association.
Egypt-based Cima4U illegal streaming service shut down; operated nearly 500 domains. Article. January 26, 2024. by Steven Hawley. Piracy Monitor
MovizLand piracy operation shut down by ACE and Egyptian law enforcement. Article. June 28, 2023. by Steven Hawley. Piracy Monitor
ACE wins pirate shutdowns in Middle East and Vietnam. Article. March 2, 2023. by Steven Hawley. Piracy Monitor.
Why it matters
“This action—and those over the past two years—could not have been possible without the valuable collaboration of the Egyptian Ministry of the Interior and the diligence and hard work of the Egyptian authorities,” said Karyn Temple, Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel for the Motion Picture Association (MPA).
“The Laroza takedown represents a victory for intellectual property rights and creators around the world. Piracy is a crime that stifles creativity and harms consumers and global economies. We will continue working closely with authorities in Egypt and other MENA countries to protect the creative marketplace,” she said.
