More than doubling the number of pirate streams detected and taken down, permanently
removing popular STB services, and securing wide-reaching injunctions plus judgments totaling
$50 million in IBCAP-coordinated lawsuits, IBCAP is setting the stage for future growth
(DENVER) Jan. 26, 2023 — The International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) today
announced key 2022 achievements in protecting its members’ content and removing pirate services from
the U.S. market and worldwide.
Through the continued development of its industry-leading, proprietary software that enables automated
scanning of set-top boxes (STB) and automated sending of takedown notices, the IBCAP lab more than
doubled the number of pirate streams detected and removed year-over-year. The impact of this increase
was felt worldwide, as CDNs and hosting providers responding to IBCAP’s pressure removed illegal
streams not only in the U.S. but globally. Additional 2022 highlights include:
- IBCAP-coordinated lawsuits securing wide-reaching legal injunctions and judgments totaling
more than $50 million. - Shutting down major STB pirate services, including ExpatVision, TotalCableBD, Maxx IPTV,
MyIndianTV, and Sasta TV. - Forcing large volume retailers/distributors, such as Atlas Electronics in Detroit, Texas
Communications in Houston, and Polexport in Chicago, to cease selling pirate services. - Disabling hundreds of major illegal websites and coordinating domain name shutdowns, including
Myindian.tv, istar-hd.com, superarabiptv.com, and iptvarab.com. - Increasing sports-related event takedowns by 80% year-over-year.
- Continued membership expansion, including the addition of BBC Studios, The E.W. Scripps
Company and others.
IBCAP, in conjunction with NAGRA, delivered industry-leading automation for both STB scanning and
the associated takedown process, with a lab that monitors more than 250 STB services. IBCAP's state-of-
the-art lab also increased the breadth of its coverage from not only STBs and pirate websites but also
apps, Kodi, online retailers such as Amazon, and leading social media outlets, such as Facebook and
Telegram. Complementing the expansion of IBCAP’s team of expert analysts in 2022, the Coalition’s
continued investment in automation has increased the speed and volume of piracy detected, streamlined
data collection and analysis, and optimized the takedown notice process. This automation is a significant
benefit to IBCAP members and has decreased the time to complete many monitoring and takedown
operations by a factor of 10.
In addition, IBCAP’s enforcement of injunctions and other persistent takedown efforts in 2022 often
resulted in the removal of pirated content worldwide, not just in the U.S. market. This collateral benefit
makes membership in IBCAP even more valuable for content owners with a global presence.
“Since joining IBCAP early in 2022, we have seen popular pirate services carrying BBC Studios content
removed not only from the U.S. market but also globally, which was an unexpected benefit of
membership,” said Diane Hamer, Head of Business and Legal Affairs, Content and Brand Protection at
BBC Studios. “In addition, we now have the IBCAP lab as a technical resource to provide BBC Studios
with the necessary evidence when we commence a legal action or make a referral to the police or other
authorities. This is a useful tool that we do not otherwise have in-house and we have been very pleased
with IBCAP’s responsiveness to our specific technical requests.”
“A comprehensive and far-reaching anti-piracy strategy is fundamental for the longevity of the sports
industry. As a leading rights-owner, incorporating IBCAP’s broad scope of protection has proven to be a
highly effective addition to our anti-piracy strategy – which has helped us to be a stronger leader and
advocate in the industry,” said Cameron Andrews, Legal Director Anti-Piracy, beIN Media Group. “The
automated scanning tools IBCAP has developed not only increases the volume of piracy detected but
also significantly enhances the speed and efficiency of the takedown process. Additionally, the IBCAP lab
has often provided us with intelligence and data that we didn’t otherwise have and this has proven to be
an important external resource for our anti-piracy team.”
“We are very pleased with our 2022 results and look forward to continuing our momentum and
effectiveness in 2023,” said Chris Kuelling, executive director of IBCAP. “With our success in shutting
down STB pirate-delivered content, we are seeing operators of pirate services transition to online
distribution channels, such as websites, apps and social media, and thus we are also very focused in
those areas. By continuing to enhance automation within our processes, IBCAP can scale cost-effectively
and efficiently, enabling our team to have the greatest impact for our members.”
For more information about IBCAP membership and its benefits, visit https://www.ibcap.org/membership.
About IBCAP
International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy, Inc. (IBCAP) is a coalition of leading international and
U.S. content owners, broadcasters and distributors representing more than 170 television channels from
the U.S. and around the world. As the largest anti-piracy organization focused on illicit services offering
multicultural content, the non-profit organization proactively monitors and identifies unauthorized video
services, collects evidence and assists with legal actions and criminal investigations against organizations
and individuals engaging in pirate activities. IBCAP coordinates with government agencies and law
enforcement both in the U.S. and abroad, reports suspected infringers to the appropriate authorities,
initiates investigations and promotes the prosecution of persons or companies who participate in the
illegal distribution of its members’ video content. More information is available at www.IBCAP.org. Follow
us on LinkedIn.
IBCAP Media Contact:
media@IBCAP.org
VisiTech PR for IBCAP:
IBCAP@VisiTechPR.com
+1-720-295-6107