Legal Definitions - antipiracy

Antipiracy refers to actions, strategies, or technologies designed to prevent or stop the unauthorized copying, sharing, selling, or use of original creative works or branded products. These efforts aim to protect the legal rights of creators and owners of copyrighted materials (like books, music, software, films) and trademarked goods (like branded clothing, electronics, or pharmaceuticals) from illegal exploitation.

Here are some examples illustrating antipiracy efforts:

• A major software company implements advanced digital rights management (DRM) technology within its new operating system. This technology encrypts the software and requires online activation, making it difficult for unauthorized users to install or distribute pirated copies. The company also employs a team that monitors online forums and torrent sites to identify and report illegal downloads of its products.

  This illustrates antipiracy because the DRM technology and the monitoring team are direct efforts to combat the illegal reproduction and distribution of the company's copyrighted software.

• A luxury fashion brand discovers a large number of counterfeit handbags being sold online and in street markets. In response, the brand hires investigators to track down the manufacturers and distributors of these fake goods. They also work with customs officials to seize shipments of counterfeit products at borders and launch public awareness campaigns to educate consumers about how to identify genuine items.

  This demonstrates antipiracy through the brand's proactive measures—investigations, collaboration with authorities, and consumer education—all aimed at discouraging and stopping the illegal reproduction and sale of its trademarked products.

• A streaming service that broadcasts live sports events invests in sophisticated watermarking technology that embeds unique, traceable codes into its video streams. If an illegal rebroadcast of an event is detected on another platform, the watermark allows the streaming service to identify the original source of the leak and take legal action against the subscriber who shared it. They also send cease-and-desist letters to websites hosting unauthorized streams.

  This is an example of antipiracy because the watermarking technology and the legal actions are designed to combat the illegal reproduction and distribution of the copyrighted live sports broadcasts, protecting the streaming service's exclusive rights.