With millions of students working remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic, the use of so-called proctoring software has skyrocketed. The stated aim of this software is to detect and prevent cheating in online tests but in order to do that, invasive systems are deployed. Proctoring software watches students through their webcams, records audio via their […]

Every year, the US Trade Representative (USTR) issues an updated review of “Notorious Markets” that facilitate copyright infringement. This overview is put together with help from copyright holders and is used to motivate the targets and foreign authorities to take action. Historically, the online part of the list has been limited to “foreign” sites and […]

Mid-October, news began to surface that the systems of gaming giants Ubisoft and Crytek had fallen victim to a hacker attack. Samples of the companies’ data first appeared on the dark web portal of ransomware group Egregor along with threats that the team could leak more confidential data in the days to come. Indeed, at […]

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) regularly conducts studies to see how piracy develops over time. When compared to earlier years, the findings help to signal trends which can be useful as input for future policy. This week, EUIPO released a new study on the perceptions and behavior of Europeans regarding intellectual property. The […]

The US Senate’s Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property is looking for better ways to tackle the ever-present threat of online piracy. Specifically, it’s working with various stakeholders to see if the DMCA can be improved to better suit today’s online environment. Improving the DMCA The effort was announced by Senator Thom Tillis last year, who […]

While groups such as the Alliance For Creativity and Entertainment are mentioned frequently for their widespread anti-piracy activities, the Europe-based Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAPA) is also engaged in key work to reduce online infringement. Counting broadcasting giants BT, Sky, Canal+, beIN, DAZN, and OSN among its members, AAPA also plays home to major sports companies […]

Every year, major copyright industry groups prepare a list of the most notorious pirate sites, which are publicly reported to the US Trade Representative (USTR). These overviews provide input for the USTR’s annual notorious markets overview, where sites such as The Pirate Bay, Fmovies and Rapidgator have appeared as repeat offenders. The goal of this […]

During the summer, Grammy award-winning musician Maria Schneider and Virgin Islands-based Pirate Monitor Ltd teamed up to file a class-action lawsuit targeting YouTube. The complaint centered on allegations that YouTube’s copyright infringement mechanisms are deficient, claiming that the company refuses to grant “ordinary creators” access to its sophisticated copyright management tools known as Content ID. […]