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Antipiracy coalition and Vietnamese police shut down major pirate streaming business

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Antipiracy coalition and Vietnamese police shut down major pirate streaming business

As a long-time movie enthusiast who has witnessed the rise and fall of countless streaming platforms, I can wholeheartedly applaud the recent takedown of Fmovies. With its vast network of domains and astronomical number of visits, it was undoubtedly one of the most formidable piracy operations in the world.

Following nearly eight years of persistent work, a significant illegal streaming service for movies and TV shows headquartered in Vietnam has been successfully dismantled, as confirmed by an international anti-piracy organization.

As a devoted advocate, I’d like to share some insights about my role in dismantling one of the world’s largest pirate streaming operations – Fmovies based in Hanoi. This platform, which I actively contributed to stopping, was attracting an astounding 374 million monthly visits, with a staggering 6.7 billion visits alone between January 2023 and June of the same year.

According to Charlie Rivkin, the chair of the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, and head of the Motion Picture Association trade group, the shutdown of Fmovies represents a significant shift on a global scale. This event serves as a warning to other piracy operators worldwide that they will be held accountable for breaking copyright laws. We will track them down, and we will bring an end to their operations.

Representatives for Fmovies could not be reached for comment.

Following its debut in 2016, Fmovies encountered immediate legal challenges. Shortly after launch, a Filipino media company named ABS-CBN filed a lawsuit against the site, claiming copyright violations. A California court then mandated a payment of $218,000 in damages and ordered it to cease operations. However, Fmovies persisted despite these rulings.

In August, the site was taken down by Vietnamese authorities.

As a dedicated movie enthusiast, I’ve just learned that two individuals from Vietnam have been recognized as the masterminds behind Fmovies. Excitingly, a Vietnamese court has taken the initiative to move forward with legal proceedings against them. The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, unfortunately, has kept their identities and other operational details under wraps.

According to Ngo Phuong Lan, head of the Vietnam Film Development Association, the Vietnamese movie industry is experiencing a significant turning point in its growth. Moving away from a model where the state provides funding, it’s now being propelled forward by increased private sector investment. A key factor for our industry’s prosperity, she emphasized, is safeguarding intellectual property rights.

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, which includes prominent players like Paramount Global, Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Netflix, has closed down numerous notorious piracy platforms worldwide over the past year.

Last December, the team successfully closed over 600 piracy websites across Latin America, with a significant number of 320+ sites being taken down in Peru alone. A month prior to that, the coalition had dismantled an operation in Egypt, affecting 65 domains which collectively received approximately 29 million visits each month.

Unlawful distribution of movies prior to their official theater premiere continues to pose significant problems for the entertainment sector, potentially reducing box office earnings by up to 20%.

In light of the fact that box office revenues from theaters haven’t fully recovered to their pre-pandemic levels, and studios cutting jobs due to excessive spending on streaming projects, these revenue drops could be crucial, Rivkin noted. He had previously estimated that, on average, piracy costs the movie theater industry over $1 billion annually.

“Rivkin stated that piracy poses a significant risk to our operations. It’s beneficial for everyone – the theaters, the creative minds, and our production companies – to take steps to reduce piracy.”

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2024-08-29 16:31

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