Italy’s Federation for the Protection of Audiovisual and Multimedia Content Industries (FAPAV) conducted its Ordinary Assembly meeting on December 19, which updated members and other attendees on its current efforts and looked back on the year 2024.
Italy’s media regulator AGCOM blocked more than 140 illegal streaming sites, with 180 sites blocked through Italy’s Judicial Authority. The President of the Italian anti-piracy organization FAPAV also recognized AGCOM’s regulation on Copyright as a fundamental tool for combating piracy, as that regulation passes its ten-year mark.
FAPAV also announced the ratification of PiperFilm as a new FAPAV member during the meeting.
Piracy Shield
FAPAV President Federico Bagnoli Rossi noted that Italy has benefited from “an innovative implementation with the ‘Piracy Shield‘ platform that allows the blocking of illegals in 30 minutes for live sports content.” It was a graceful observation that rose above the scathing protests lodged by one of AGCOM’s Commissioners just a week earlier.
Recommending a future course for Piracy Shield, FAPAV President Bagnoli Rossi said “We hope that as soon as possible the new public consultation will be opened aimed at extending the timeliness of intervention also to other audiovisual content provided for by law, including, for example, first film screenings and non-sports television live, a measure that the sector is waiting for.”
Piracy still a problem
In June, FAPAV released a study conducted by IPSOS which concluded that 39% of Italian adults (aged 15 years and above) committed at least one act of piracy in 2023 illicitly using movies, series/fiction programs or live sports. Piracy occurrences were said to be down by 3 percentage points at an estimated 319 million in 2023, compared to 345 million in 2022.
Communications outreach during 2024
In 2024, two communication campaigns were launched. The first was “Il Cinema Siete Voi.”, designed to inform and raise public awareness about the phenomenon of camcording. According to FAPAV, 9 out of 10 films that go out in theaters are victims of audio or video camcording, and are made available online illegally a short distance from the official release. The campaign was promoted with commercials, a dedicated website, and other information materials to raise awareness of the general public.
Merchants were given a reserved area to access the contents of a media kit, designed and developed with the technical collaboration of the Gigasweb agency; composed of graphics for social media, print format posters and an information, as well as a guide as a tool to do anti-camcording activities.
The other was the second edition of “We Are Stories“, comprised of six unpublished short films that tell the stories, dreams and aspirations of young professional women, who tenaciously overcame antells the stories and aspirations of young protagonists in the audiovisual sector. The films premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and then officially at the Rome Film Festival.
Media literacy campaign
The educational project called “Respect Creativity” also continued, supported by AFI, FAPAV, MPA, NUOVOIMAIE, SIAE and UNIVIDEO and promoted by ScuolAttiva conducted its twelfth edition, which saw the involvement of 160,000 secondary school students throughout Italy.
The goal of that program is to help young people make informed choices on how to legally consume music, audiovisual content and works of ingenuity, favoring the growth of a culture of respect for creativity and promoting the correct use of new technologies.
Looking ahead to 2025
FAPAV will continue its awareness campaigns in 2025, including a new round of the FAPAV/IPSOS piracy survey noted above, and a spin-off of its We Are Stories consumer campaign.
Some of the FAPAV’s activities will be supported by “Learn Antipiracy Best Skills S.r.l. Benefit Society“, the company founded by FAPAV and activated in July 2024, specialized in digital services for the protection of Copyright and the fight against online piracy, which in 2025 will be dedicated in particular to starting advanced training courses for professionals and companies, in collaboration with Anica Academy.
Further reading
FAPAV Assembly closed an important year in the fight against piracy. Press release. December 20, 2024. FAPAV (Federation for the Protection of Industries of Audiovisual and Multimedia Content, Italy)
Italy: 39% of residents accessed piracy sources with €2 Billion impact to economy. Article. June 26, 2024. by Steven Hawley. Piracy Monitor.
Italy: FAPAV launches public advocacy venture, cheers 2023 accomplishments. Article. December 29, 2023. by Steven Hawley. Piracy Monitor.
Why it matters
“(FAPAV is) working assiduously on several fronts to strengthen the structure, implement technology and synergistic actions and continue with our communication activities, looking to the future of the Federation” – concluded FAPAV President Bagnoli Rossi.
