Friday, October 11, 2024

European Union urged to end live piracy to protect sport and culture

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Over one hundred companies, leagues, federations and other organisations have signed a call to action aimed on encouraging the European Union to take steps to deal adequately with the issue of live piracy in order to protect creativity, sports and culture.

The following statement was sent to the EU.

‘We, the undersigned, call on the European Union to address the issue of piracy and particularly live content piracy. Piracy has and continues to drain Europe’s creative and cultural ecosystems, sports and live performance sectors depriving workers and industries from billions in annual revenues and undermining the sustainability of an essential part of our social and economic fabric.

‘We call on the European Commission to deliver a legislative instrument to tackle live content piracy as a firm commitment from the European Executive branch to address this issue with adequate measures. Notably, guaranteeing that notified illegal content is taken down immediately and blocked before the live event terminates.

‘In so doing, we recall that such measures build on the existing corpus of European and national laws to deliver effective tools to fight and disable piracy networks. Networks incorporating a number of criminal operators that use piracy as a means to launder gains from illegal activities.

‘It is Europe’s duty to protect and promote its world leading creative and cultural workforce and industrial base as well as preserving consumers from the risks tied to piracy.

‘Any non-legislative instruments would be inadequate and insufficient to address the magnitude of the problem. Only a European wide regulation could provide an appropriate answer.

‘We encourage the European Commission to act firmly and rapidly towards proposing such an instrument.’

The full list of 108 signatories:

1. A+E Networks EMEA

2. AEPO-ARTIS

3. AMC Networks International

4. Asociación clubes baloncesto

5. Asociaţia Română de Comunicaţii Audiovizuale

6. Association of Bulgarian Broadcasters

7. Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe

8. Association of Danish ensembles, orchestras and opera institutions

9. Association of music festivals

10. Association of the Professional theatres in the Czech Republic

11. Association professionnelle des régies publicitaires TV et radio

12. Association Sygnał

13. ATP Media

14. Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance

15. Australian Football League

16. beIN Sports

17. British Horseracing Authority

18. BT Sport

19. Bulgarian Association of employers in Culture

20. Canal+ Group

21. Central European Media Enterprises

22. Confindustria Radio Televisioni

23. Cricket Australia

24. Deutsche Fussball Liga

25. Deutscher Fussbal-Bund

26. Discovery+

27. Ekstraklasa

28. England and Wales Cricket Board

29. England Rugby

30. English Football League

31. Euroleague Basketball

32. European Arenas Association

33. European Professional Club Rugby

34. European Tour

35. Eurosport

36. Federation Equestre

37. Fédération Française de Rugby

38. Fédération Française de Tennis

39. Federazione per la Tutela delle Industrie dei Contenuti Audiovisivi e Multimediali

40. FIFA

41. Football DataCo

42. Global Cycling Network

43. Guinness Six Nations

44. Indian Premier League

45. International Cricket Council

46. International Netball Federation

47. International Paralympic Committee

48. International Tennis Federation

49. KIGEiT – Krajowa Izba Gospodarcza Elektroniki i Telekomunikacji

50. Ladies European Tour

51. LaLiga

52. Ligue de Football Professionnel

53. London Marathon

54. Mediapro

55. Mediaset España

56. Mediaset S.p.A.

57. Motion Picture Association EMEA

58. Moto GP

59. News Media Europe

60. Nova Broadcasting Group

61. Nova Greece (Wind)

62. Nova TV Croatia

63. NRL

64. Paramount

65. Pearle* Live Performance Europe

66. PGA Tour

67. Premier League

68. Premiership Rugby

69. Roland Garros Paris

70. Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews

71. Rugby AU

72. Rugby Football League

73. Rugby World Cup

74. Ryder Cup

75. Scottish Professional Football League

76. Scottish Rugby

77. Serie A

78. Sky plc

79. Speedway Great Britain

80. Sport Integrity Global Alliance

81. Sports Rights Owners Coalition

82. State Federation of Associations of Theatre and Dance production enterprises

83. Swedish Performing Arts

84. Syndicat national du spectacle musical et de variété

85. Tennis Australia

86. TF1

87. The British Golf Championship

88. The Championships Wimbledon

89. The European VOD Coalition

90. The Football Association

91. The Lawn Tennis Association

92. The Walt Disney Company

93. tvi

94. UEFA

95. UNI Global Union Europa – Media, Entertainment & Arts

96. Union Internationale des Cinémas

97. United Media

98. UTECA – Televisión Comercial en Abierto

99. VAUNET – Verband Privater Medien

100. Verband Österreichischer Privatsender

101. Viaplay Group

102. Vivacom

103. Warner Brothers Discovery Sports

104. Women’s Tennis Association

105. World Athletics

106. World Federation of Advertisers

107. World Snooker

108. ZPPM Lewiatan – Związek Pracodawców Prywatnych Mediów Lewiatan. Internationale

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