The fight against illegal content on the internet depends on the joint effort of authorities, companies and users, concluded the speakers of the webinar “Online Piracy in Brazil – achievements and challenges”, Daniel Steinmetz, the principal counsel of The Walt Disney Company for Global Content Protection in Latin America; Alessandro Barreto, coordinator of the Cyber Operations laboratory (CGCCO/DIOPI/CEOPI/Ministry of Justice and Public Security); and Guilherme Farid Mischi Boul Chebl, head of the Procon-SP (Department for Consumer Protection and Defense of São Paulo) office.
The event, which took place on July 22nd, was organized by ABPI’s Copyright and Personality Rights and Repression of Infractions Study Committees and was supported by the OAB — Brazilian Bar Association — Copyright Commission (CEDAUT). ABPI’s Study Committees’ coordinators who attended the event were Ygor Valério, Ana Erika Marques Ramos, Paula Mena Barreto, Pedro Frankovsky Barroso, and Igor Donato de Araújo.
For Farid, punishing counterfeiters alone is not enough to control the flow of illegal content on the Internet. Awareness is also essential. The PROCON Foundation of São Paulo already has a group of studies to guide consumers and companies on the best consumer practices on the internet, which will result in the creation of the “Empresa Amiga do Consumidor” (Consumer Friendly Company) seal. On another front, since 2011, PROCON publishes and updates the list of unreliable websites that, when accessed on the institution’s website, guides the consumer in the online purchase of products. “But, the resolution of any type of consumer-related problem, if there is no commitment from the top management of the company, will not be effective”, Farid said.
Barreto cited, as an experience applicable to piracy, the 404 operation, coordinated by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, to remove content on the Internet which is related to pirated content. “Thanks to a partnership between the judicial police and the private sector, it was possible, in a single day, to bring down 210 sites and 100 applications with illegal content”, he exemplified. “The work was spectacular, but the fight has to be constant, as we will never end piracy on the Internet, but, yes, mitigate its effects”.
Steinmetz praised the Brazilian experience in fighting against piracy. “Ancine (National Cinema Agency) and Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency) have been a beacon that lights the paths that we must follow”, he said. He also explained that the piracy control of products, trademarks, and services within the scope of The Walt Disney Company is carried out in partnership with private organizations, such as the Motion Picture Association and ESPN.
The full event is available on ABPI’s YouTube Channel.
