ARCOM, the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication for France, actively publishes informational resources about its mission and activities, including its efforts against piracy, both for media stakeholders and for the general public.
During December 2025 and into January 2026, ARCOM has been refeshing its site describing its activities to keep stakeholders up to date. Landing pages are listed below, which focus on ARCOM regulatory initiatives to mitigate live sports piracy, such as site blocking; and public awareness campaigns emphasizing the consequences of piracy by explaining the virtuous circle linking legal offer and the development of professional and amateur sports.
In January 2026, ARCOM updated an informtional resource about illegal IPTV services. According to studies conducted by ARCOM, 11% of French Internet users admit that they use illicit IPTV services and two-thirds of those users say they started less than three years ago. It defines IPTV as a technology and informs users about how to identify them.
Graduated response to infringement
In response to a rights-holder’s notification that infringing activity is taking place, ARCOM conducts a multi-stepped response program which first warns piracy consumers that they have been caught consuming protected works, and gives them the opportunity to correct the situation.
After two warnings, a notification is sent by letter delivered electronically and physically against signature, that downloads or sharing of protected works have continued and that the offender is subject to criminal sanctions. The offender is then given 15 days to stop accessing protected works illegally, or to appeal with the assistance of legal counsel.
To help, ARCOM publishes a landing page that lets consumers search for media service offerings that are legal; similar in spirit (if not in usability) to sites like ACE’s Watch Legally and CTAM’s Stream Safely. ARCOM also publishes a Web browser extension called EOL, which dispays a green or red signal depending on whether a media Web site has been recognized by ARCOM one way or the other.
If the infringing user continues using illegal sites despite ARCOM’s warnings (See Article R. 335-5 of the Intellectual Property Code), a penalty of up to 1,500 euros (or 7,500 euros in the case of a legal person) is imposed.
After investigation confirms their activities, parties that redistribute unlicensed programming are treated as counterfeiters and may incur up to three years’ imprisonment and fines ranging from 300,000 to 1,500,000 euros.
Technical protective measures
ARCOM also publishes guidelines to strike a balance between the protection of works and freedom of use, and in accordance with European Directive 2001/29/EC. ARCOM may be petitioned for an opinion or under a dispute settlement petition.
France’s Intellectual Property Code entrusts ARCOM with a mission of “regulation and monitoring in the field of technical protection measures (MTP) and identification of works and objects protected by copyright or by a neighboring right”.
The Code also specifies conditions to ensure that MTPs do not prevent the effective implementation of interoperability and do not hinder the benefit of certain exceptions. The regulatory tools available to ARCOM, and the conditions for admissibility and examination of requests for dispute settlement and referrals for advice are detailed in the Code.
Why it matters
ARCOM should be praised for providing clear informational resources, both about piracy and about the ways that it is addressed by consumers and by media stakeholders. On the consumer side, the real question goes to whether or not potential infringing consumers might know about them, let alone take them seriously or obey them.
ARCOM is the French regulator responsible for a set of missions in support of the development of French-speaking and European production and creation in audiovisual media. French audiovisual communication services contribute to the exhibition or even to the financing of French and European creation.
Further reading
IPTV: Why some offers are illegal. Landing page. Accessed Jan. 8, 2026. ARCOM (Le regulateur de la communication audiovisuelle et numerique)
Fight against the piracy of sports broadcasts. Landing page. Accessed Jan. 8, 2026. ARCOM (Le regulateur de la communication audiovisuelle et numerique)
Encouragement for the development of legal supply. Landing page. Accessed Jan. 8, 2026. ARCOM (Le regulateur de la communication audiovisuelle et numerique)
Digital regulation of technical protective measures. Landing page. Accessed Jan. 8, 2026. ARCOM (Le regulateur de la communication audiovisuelle et numerique)
Promote and protect creation. Landing page. Accessed Jan. 8, 2026. ARCOM (Le regulateur de la communication audiovisuelle et numerique)
