MultiChoice Namibia, in collaboration with The Brief, an online publication, hosted a discussion on piracy and its negative impacts for both consumers and other stakeholders.
Held under the theme: “Setting Africa’s Creativity Free”, the event included an insightful presentation by Frikkie Jonker, Irdeto Broadcasting cybersecurity and anti-piracy director, who discussed various forms of piracy, and possible solutions to combat the scourge.
“As Africa’s most loved storyteller, MultiChoice Namibia’s vision is to raise awareness about the illegal distribution of licensed content through pirate streaming services which threaten the livelihoods of local content creators. In other words – piracy,” said Roger Gertze, MultiChoice Namibia’s managing director.
He added that as a business, they have an obligation to honour the viewing rights of their customers, therefore he encouraged everyone to join their stance against piracy because by collaborating, people can achieve anything.
Jonker shared details on cable piracy, broadcast piracy, and other forms which have affected creatives and businesses on a global scale.
“Piracy is one of the biggest fights we have on the African continent, including in Namibia. When you access questionable websites and/or links, people don’t realize that they are exposing themselves and their families to international crime syndicates,” shared Jonker.
“Piracy has become an alternative way of generating revenue apart from child smuggling.” According to Jonker, solutions include international cooperation, innovation and adaptability.
Onesmus Joseph, manager of intellectual property enforcement and framework at the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA), said the legal frameworks to fight piracy are currently being developed. “Broadcast and internet piracy rob creators and artists of what belongs to them as professionals. In response to this, our office has made significant strides as far as piracy is concerned. In 2019, for example, we had a re-look the law as we cannot fight piracy without an appropriate law,” he said.
In her closing remarks, Vanessa Wermann, head of sales at The Brief, encouraged more partnerships among the private and public sectors with regard to piracy.
“Let us continue to implement, educate, monitor and seek legal protection. I look forward to more enriching conversations and endeavours,” she said.