Piracy in Crosshairs: Brazil Launches Anti-Piracy Campaign

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – The Brazilian Federation of Audiovisual Industry and Trade (FICA) announced at RioMarket, the Rio Film Festival, the launch of a free anti-piracy awareness campaign on free-to-air television, radio, advertising, and out-of-home (OOH) cinema. Local media, telecom groups, and exhibitors, by providing […]

The Brazilian Audiovisual Federation's awareness campaign, sponsored by RioMarket and supported by media, telecommunications and exhibition groups, will begin at the end of October.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – The Brazilian Federation of Audiovisual Industry and Commerce (FICA) launched an anti-piracy awareness campaign on free-to-air television, radio, commercials and out-of-home (OOH) cinema at the end of October at the Rio Film Festival's RioMarket.

Local media, telecommunications and exhibition groups are supporting the campaign by offering free advertising space on their platforms. Local ad agency 11:21 created a professional ad campaign that will initially reach São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's three most populous states, and eventually expand nationwide, 11:21 CEO Gustavo Bastos told Variety. RELATED STORIES Rachel Zeigler recalls 'Evita' audition while starring in 'Romeo + Juliet' on Broadway: 'I read 40 pages of material' Evita on Broadway: West End stars Diego Rodriguez, James Olivas to star opposite Rachel Zeegler (EXCLUSIVE)

"Intellectual property theft is a problem that needs to be solved worldwide. The loss of revenue is huge and affects the entire ecosystem of the audiovisual industry. What's more worrying is that ordinary people don't realize the consequences of their actions when they use an illegal TV box," Fika told Variety. "Fortunately, we have managed to bring together key partners to launch this massive campaign which is now underway." Popular in Variety

Disque Denúncia, an anonymous Brazilian hotline for reporting crimes, is a campaign partner. This initiative allows citizens to report suspected criminal activity without revealing their identity.

Bastos said the campaign will use the language of movies and series to communicate the dangers of piracy. They created pirate characters for the campaign inspired by pirate productions.

"Anti-piracy campaigns generally adopt an enforcement tone and emphasize repression, which alienates the audience," Bastos said.

A 2022 study by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) found that piracy costs the country 12 billion reais ($2.4 billion) annually, Jonas Antones Coto, president of the Brazilian Pay Television Association (ABTA), told Variety. The study also identified piracy practices in about 4.5 million households in Brazil.

Illegal TV boxes, smuggled mainly from Asia, have become a major concern in Brazil's fight against audiovisual piracy, Cotto said. These devices allow consumers to access movies, TV series, live sports and other content without permission from copyright owners. These relatively inexpensive TV and Internet-connected devices can provide access to vast libraries of illegal content, often eliminating the need for legal streaming subscriptions or pay TV services.

"Piracy is a global phenomenon. In our view, those behind this business are not small operators, but large criminal organizations that engage in other illegal activities, including cybercrime, to finance their operations," Cotto said.

In addition to the financial damage caused to pay-TV operators, streaming platforms, and manufacturers, distributors, and exhibitors, illegal TV boxes may also pose significant cybersecurity risks, as they may contain malware that can expose users to data theft, unauthorized access to personal information, and other cyber threats.

Claro is one of the companies that supports this campaign. In addition to mobile and landline telephony and high-speed broadband Internet, Claro in Brazil offers pay TV and digital entertainment services and is directly affected by piracy.

Fernando Magalhães, director of programming and content at Claro, said: "A major anti-piracy operation carried out in Argentina last year succeeded in shutting down one of the largest centers of pirated content in Latin America. In the three months following the operation, sales of pay-TV subscription packages in Brazil increased by more than 20%." "But it's a game of cat and mouse. As anti-piracy efforts become more technically sophisticated, piracy itself evolves. Technologically, too."