A leaked IFPI report outlines the organisation’s global strategy for anti-piracy along with its expectations of ISPs in the battle and its verdict on current site-blocking measures.
In the report, obtained by TorrentFreak, the IFPI identifies a number of cyber threats. Some of them have been in the spotlight for some time now - such as P2P networks like The Pirate Bay and ‘cyberlockers’ like Megaupload – but hacking attempts on artist and management accounts with a view to stealing music or information is also flagged up.
Interestingly, an IFPI chart (below) illustrates the size of the Top 10 out of 236 cyberlockers tracked in 2011 and shows Megaupload to be in seventh position, having very little impact compared to the likes of filesonic.com and wupload.com/co.uk.
The IFPI outlines requirements for cyberlockers to “proactively filter out infringing content” or at least “operate an effective and efficient notice and take down system.”
The development of mobile data and applications has also caused new problems, the IFPI says, with a growth in third party music apps and “challenges” when it comes to tracking IP addresses of subscribers to here-and-now streaming content via all-you-can-eat plans.
The body is apparently monitoring the App Store and Google Marketplace and focusing on “quick take down agreements” with Apple, Google, Microsoft, Nokia and Palm to remove applications it doesn’t like.
Unauthorised pay MP3 sites are another headache, with the IFPI having identified more than 50 across Russia and Ukraine. Law enforcement authorities have “secured evidence that the illegal sites are annually stealing hundreds of millions of dollars” creating opportunities for money laundering and tax evasion investigations.
The IFPI plans to cut off finances to such sites with the help of payment processors.
Elsewhere, the work to combat the distribution of revenue streams to unauthorised sites is ongoing. IFPI’s advertiser strategy is based around the “disruption of revenue streams” to unauthorized sites by several methods. In the report they speak of a “structured notice and take down programme targeting Google’s AdSense and DoubleClick advertising networks,” plus “out reach” to online advertising association IASH and the Internet Advertising Bureau to implement “comprehensive infringing block lists.” The IFPI is also engaging in direct contact with advertisers to flag up when their ads appear on infringing sites.
Again, efforts are being made to cut off revenue to unauthorised sites. Agreements are said to be in place with VISA, MasterCard, PayPal, CTIA, Monitise, PaySafeCard and PhonePayPlus.
In terms of ISPs’ role in the battle against internet piracy, the IFPI syas they should not provide access to infringing sites, services or even unidentified customers and requires them to “Implement a system of graduated response for infringing P2P users including warnings to an effective deterrent sanction.”
ISPs should also block access to infringing sites and services “located outside the local jurisdiction,” the organisation says: “The effectiveness of such a ‘block’ will depend on the determination of the ISP subscriber?and the content/website provider to maintain access to each other and to use circumvention techniques to bypass blocking techniques.
“There is evidence to suggest that there is limited (between 3% and 5%) adoption of these circumvention techniques although subscribers with more technical knowledge could look to circumvent ISP controls using virtual private networks (VPN) or anonymous proxies.”
IFPI ultimately outline the importance of “co-operation, partnerships and information exchange” and the building of relationships with law enforcement, judges and legal bodies in order to “provide training built around ‘real world’ experiences and challenges rather than focusing on theory.”
Source: TorrentFreak
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