World Anti-Piracy Observatory

Best Practices

This section contains a sampling of anti-piracy practices utilised by Member States.  While the list is non-exhaustive, it does account for policies and measures considered by the countries themselves to be good practices in the fight against piracy. As these practices have been recently implemented, only preliminary data concerning their results has been provided. To improve upon this initial gathering of data and to showcase the continued results of Member States’ efforts, all stakeholders are encouraged to provide updates regarding their success stories and best practices, including concrete statistics and data when available.

• Anti-Piracy Forum Tours
  
  
• Banderole
  
  
• Customs Department Regulations
  
  
• Educational Campaigns
  
  
• File-Checking Software
  
  
• Joint Databases
  
  
• Judicial and Law Enforcement Training
  
  
• Marketplace Controls
  
  
• Media Releases

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Anti-Piracy Forum Tours
Awareness-raising forums educate and unite various interrelated sectors.  Successful tours bring together industry, law enforcement, legal experts who give presentations and offer training to attendees. Such forums help raise awareness about the consequences of intellectual property crime and how to protect personal rights. Forums also provide information that may assist police, customs, prosecutors, regulatory personnel and other government officials in addressing piracy.   Particular and targeted educations are often given in schools and to youth. (Canada)

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Banderole
Determination devices, like banderole, help consumers distinguish legitimate articles from pirated ones, and, in turn, combat piracy. In some cases, such devices can render articles unusable if tampered with. (Malawi / Turkey)

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Customs Department Regulations
Placing limits on the freedoms to import pirated articles at borders, ports and airports.  Member States have also effectively created specialized customs departments at the local, county and regional level that exercise increased surveillance of pirated articles. (Cyprus / Pakistan / Romania)

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Educational Campaigns
Strong educational campaigns encourage consumers to avoid purchasing pirated movies, CDs and videogames. Successful educational campaigns often include a website and partnerships with popular artists or other attention-attracting personalities. Countries often include poster or advertisement competitions at schools to raise awareness at the youth level. (Colombia / Finland / Greece / Japan / Lebanon / Namibia / Poland)

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File-Checking Software
Software that indicates to users whether an electronic, downloadable article is legal or not can reduce piracy rates over the Internet.  Such software reinforces the initiatives to educate internet users on the consequences of internet piracy and helps decrease the rates of illegal downloading. (Argentina)

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Joint Databases
Coordinating information regarding banderole, registration, certificate systems, collection societies, works and authors in a digital environment can aid the efficiency of anti-piracy enforcement. Allowing courts to access such databases accelerates the judical process regarding piracy and activates the coordination of anti-piracy institutions and enforcement bodies. (Philippines / Turkey) 

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Judicial and Law Enforcement Training
Training of judges aids the prosecution of copyright infringers.  Such training can even propel improved prosecution of infringement, like fast-track courts that expedite infringement issues, as knowledge stimulates the creation of innovative and improved ways of addressing piracy.  (Malawi / Philippines / Zambia / Zimbabwe)

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Marketplace Controls
Monitoring marketplace operations can stop and prevent vendors from selling infringing goods. When marketplace operators keep records of individual vendors, customs officials can more easily identify infringing vendors. (Czech Republic / Mexico)

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Media Releases
Like educational campaigns, media releases have a strong awareness-raising function and curb the demand for pirated goods.  Billboard campaigns in urban areas, train stations, airports, customs offices, car parks and trade fairs are good examples of media releases. Anti-piracy days with various events at cinemas and retail stores, along with broad advertising with local industries through radio, television and film have proven successful.  So too have anti-piracy websites that provide links to the latest events on anti-piracy at the national level and that coordinate the latest news on anti-piracy around the world. (Bosnia and Herzegovina / Seychelles / Switzerland / Trinidad and Tobago / Zimbabwe)

[Note: this list is in alphabetical order]