UK government commits funding to anti-piracy projects

The UK government has committed £2 million ($2.8 million) to extend a campaign aimed at tackling online piracy.

As part of a creative industries sector deal, announced on March 28, the government said it would invest over three years to extend the ‘Get it Right’ campaign to “tackle online piracy and educate consumers on the value of copyright and direct them to legitimate websites”.

The government funds the specialist Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), which has investigated more than £100 million worth of IP crime and diverted more than 11 million visits from copyright-infringing sites. 

“Online piracy continues to be a serious inhibitor to growth in the creative industries,” said the sector deal. “Technologies like stream ripping and illicit streaming devices enable illegitimate access to content without rewarding its creators.”

In 2017, a code of practice brokered by the UK government and the creative industries reduced the prominence of illegal sites returned in search results, said the deal. 

Now, a series of roundtables between rights owners and platforms will take place to consider the need for and develop a similar approach in relation to the online advertising industry, social media, and online marketplaces.

According to the deal, if the roundtables fail to develop a code of practice aimed at significantly reducing online infringement by December 31, 2018, then the government will consider further legislative action. 

Overall, more than £150 million will be jointly invested by government and the creative industries as part of the sector deal.

According to the government, the UK’s creative industries are worth £92 billion, employ 2 million people and are growing twice as fast as the rest of the economy.

Geoff Taylor, CEO of British Phonographic Industry (the representative body for UK record labels) and the BRIT Awards, said: “The key new elements for music are the commitment to resolve the value gap and to require online intermediaries to play a more active role in tackling copyright infringement, through the establishment of new roundtables.”