During Expocine, the São Paulo motion picture convention, Brazilian government representatives, along with the film sector, are set to discuss “the challenges and strategies” to put a stop to the use of “digital piracy” of features and TV series in Brazil.
The panel is titled ‘Cutting the Signal: the Silent War against Digital Piracy and is set to have speakers such as officials from Brazil’s National Cinema Agency and the National Telecommunications Agency. The General Director of the Brazilian Motion Picture Association, Andressa Pappas, and Jack Silva, the President of the Brazilian Association of Small and Average-Sized Exhibitors, also appear at the panel. As stated by Pappas, digital piracy causes “significant economic harm on the film and TV industry in Brazil, disrupting the revenues that sustain content creation and the jobs it supports.” The National Forum Against Piracy and Illegality in Brazil has even inferred that “the financial impact of piracy on the Brazilian economy is approximately R$287 billion,” which is the U.S. dollar equivalent of $52.1 billion.
Pappas explained that, similar to other countries, “piracy in Brazil takes multiple forms, including illegal streaming services, unauthorized IPTV platforms, torrent sites and apps. These services are delivered through a variety of channels – such as illicit websites, preloaded streaming devices, and unauthorized applications – that make infringing content widely accessible to consumers.” For evidence, she quoted research performed in 2021 that showcased Brazil being “the fifth largest consumer of pirated content, behind the U.S., Russia, India, and China.” As a solution, the National Cinema Agency and the National Telecommunications Agency signed an official agreement in May to collaborate in the fight against film and TV piracy. The former has the job of “blocking websites and apps that distribute pirated content,” and the latter is responsible for “assuring that telecom companies prevent their customers from accessing the content.”
Pappas explained to Variety, “Tackling piracy requires not only the dedicated efforts of rights holders, but also close cooperation with law enforcement agencies and government authorities. In this regard, Brazil stands out as a leading example, demonstrating exemplary coordination between rights holders, public administration, and investigative bodies to achieve impactful results.” While Silva would rather wait and discern if the agency partnership will reduce digital piracy in Brazil effectively, telling Variety, “ We have so far not seen concrete actions resulting from this agreement. Blocking websites will not resolve the problem. It’s necessary to go after the people who openly advertise on social media. Check the Facebook and Instagram, and you will find the names and phone numbers of people offering TV boxes and apps with films that are currently screening in our theaters.”
Silva also notes that features in Brazil typically become accessible on streaming platforms a month after their release. For example, Jurassic World Rebirth was released in Brazil on July 3rd and then re-released digitally on August 6th.
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