DirecTV, one of the leading video distribution companies in the US, has officially joined the International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) as its newest member. The partnership marks a strategic expansion of IBCAP’s anti-piracy efforts, which have traditionally focused on the multicultural video market, to include mainstream American content.
The rise of advanced streaming technology has made it easier for pirates to offer illegal access to hundreds, even thousands, of channels on a single platform. This has led to a growing threat to American broadcasters and content providers.
Brooke Mallette, Senior Vice President of Legal at DirecTV, said, “As technology advances, it is becoming easier for pirates to stream hundreds, sometimes thousands, of channels on a single service, with many of these illicit platforms growing bolder by offering American channels and sports. We joined IBCAP to leverage its proven technical expertise in piracy detection and its legal success in curbing copyright infringement.”
Mallette explained that IBCAP’s initial role will involve identifying pirate services that are illegally distributing the same channels offered by DirecTV. Additionally, DirecTV plans to work closely with programmers and channel providers to increase pressure on pirate services and their hosting providers, aiming to shut down unauthorized streams.
IBCAP operates a state-of-the-art lab where it monitors over 100 versions of set-top boxes and related services, hundreds of websites, and numerous social media and mobile apps to track and identify pirated content.
While IBCAP has historically focused on piracy of international content, its lab has recently detected a rise in the illegal streaming of mainstream American content, including:
- General entertainment channels
- Live sports
- Video-on-Demand (VoD)
This shift makes DirecTV’s involvement even more significant, as the company seeks greater enforcement from content owners to combat piracy in these areas.
Chris Kuelling, Executive Director of IBCAP, said, “The addition of DirecTV to IBCAP broadens our ecosystem to strengthen our fight against piracy by taking on pirates who are illegally streaming content that DirecTV also distributes. With our industry-leading automation for detecting infringement on set-top boxes, as well as our lab’s expertise, we will provide DirecTV with critical intelligence about infringers to curtail unauthorized streams.”
This collaboration reflects a growing industry-wide effort to clamp down on piracy and protect the value of licensed content. The combined resources of IBCAP and DirecTV are expected to enhance the identification and shutdown of unauthorized streaming platforms, ensuring greater protection for content creators and distributors alike.