Multichoice
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has teamed up with the broadcasting giant, MultiChoice Group, solidifying their cooperation with the signing of an anti-piracy memorandum of understanding (MoU).
Spanning several pivotal pillars such as policy development, capacity building and the bolstering of intellectual property rights enforcement, the MoU endeavours to tackle the rampant issue of piracy which has financially hemorrhaged the country’s economy.
The department’s Director-General, Advocate Doctor Mashabane, highlighted the severity of the issue and the government’s stance. “This marks another milestone in the government’s efforts to fight broadcast and content piracy, which continue to drain the fiscus of billions of rands a year,” said Mashabane.
Advocate Mashabane emphasized the critical role of the government’s intervention, adding, “Committing to signing this MOU shows our commitment to protect our creative industry so it can grow and attract investment – something that cannot happen without the Government’s intervention.”
On the corporate front, MultiChoice South Africa CEO Mark Jury acknowledged the company’s transformation and its dedication to eradicating piracy. “As MultiChoice evolves from a traditional video entertainment business into a diversified platform business focused on technology, we are committed to promoting legitimate content consumption and supporting the creative industry,” Jury stated.
Further remarks from Jury expressed his eagerness about the strengthened alliance, “We look forward to strengthening partnerships with a number of stakeholders, including the department, to wage a coordinated war against piracy.”
The department further elucidated that the memorandum is expected to leverage enforcement efforts and serve as a deterrent. The initiative is seen as an integral stride toward the restructuring of current laws and the elevation of training programs targeting judicial and regulatory bodies.
Highlighting the urgency of filling legislative voids, the department explained, “The current legislative gaps means there is no incentive for hosting providers and other intermediaries, including financial, to work with legitimate role-players in the Audio-Visual (AV) content value chain or with the police to reduce piracy and block online pirate websites and the sharing of pirated content.”
They emphasized the need for a comprehensive policy and legislative framework to adequately counter cybercrime, cyber piracy, and cyberterrorism. The envisioned strategy includes facets such as obstructing access to illegal domains/IP addresses, educating the public to prevent piracy and extending the scope of financial investigations and enforcement to mitigate these offenses.
They emphasized the need for a comprehensive policy and legislative framework to adequately counter cybercrime, cyber piracy, and cyberterrorism. The envisioned strategy includes facets such as obstructing access to illegal domains/IP addresses, educating the public to prevent piracy and extending the scope of financial investigations and enforcement to mitigate these offenses.
