The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has worked alongside the cybersecurity and IP protection company, White Bullet Solutions Ltd., to help prevent ad-funded piracy for over a year, and recently released a six month update revealing key trends in cybersecurity in the monitored markets throughout 2022.
WIPO is the global forum for intellectual property (IP) services, policy, information and cooperation – a self-funding agency of the United Nations. Its mission is to lead the development of a balanced and effective international IP system that enables innovation and creativity for the benefit of all.
The report covers data related to domains from selected WIPO ALERT territories, Italy, Lithuania and Spain; some 461 websites which were active with IP-infringing content and displayed ads. It includes an overview of trends in ad impressions and revenue on selected WIPO ALERT websites in Q1 and Q2 2022; an advertising snapshot; and a trend analysis.
Key highlights include the fact that branded ads decreased from 57% in the January 2022 Report to 51% in the July 2022 Report; a drop of six percentage points, or 11%.
Arts and Entertainment sector ads decreased from 49% in the January 2022 Report to 20% in the July 2022 Report – making this now the second highest sector for major brands ads after personal finance sector ads – which increased from 15% in the January 2022 Report to 50% in the July 2022 report.
Why it matters
WIPO ALERT is a secure, online platform to which authorised bodies in WIPO member states can upload details of websites or apps which have been determined to infringe copyright according to national rules. Combined with the millions of infringing web and app pages tracked by White Bullet, partners can be assured of security when blocking ads to pirate services.
White Bullet Solutions also works closely with the Trustworthy Accountability Group, an industry organization whose best practices against advertising piracy have had a positive impact against ad piracy.
“As a WIPO ALERT member, we are delighted to continue to support this valuable initiative to help defund online piracy,” says Peter Szyszko, Founder and CEO, White Bullet. “WIPO plays an important role by providing a policy forum to shape international IP rules for a changing world, as well as technical infrastructure to connect IP systems and share knowledge, to enable all countries to use IP for economic, social and cultural development.”