Asia Video Industry Association’s Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) finds a concerning scenario of piracy trends in the Asia Pacific nations. Its 2024 annual piracy consumer survey report reveals a spike in social media piracy to 59% from 52% last year. The study was conducted by YouGovs. The increase is mostly being fueled by activity on social media and messaging platforms.

Traditional piracy methods like pirate TV boxes and torrent websites have reduced. But unauthorized sharing of content on Facebook, Instagram, messaging apps and other such social platforms has increased sharply. The concerns are more in Philippines and Vietnam. About 70% of their populations have become victims of piracy.

The survey further reveals that 89% of consumers in the Asia Pacific region are well aware of the negative impacts of such piracies. However, some counties have efficiently blocked access to such pirate sites through judicial or administrative orders. This has led to a decrease in piracy activity.

The primary challenge now is how to combat the surge of piracy through social media platforms. It is said the platforms need to step up the proactive measures to reduce the spread of unauthorized content. Matt Cheetham, General Manager of CAP, rightly said the same for the social platforms to prevent their services from being misused for piracy.

The real battle is not to curb traditional piracy methods, but the battle against social media piracy. It requires urgent attention and collaboration. It is important for industry players as well as for the governments to work together to deter piracy effectively.

However, addressing the issue is not about protecting intellectual property. It is about safeguarding the creativity and innovation that drive our entertainment industry forward. It is about ensuring fair compensation for content creators.