In today’s digital age, the vast ocean of online content has revolutionized the way we interact with the world. However, lurking beneath the surface is the dark undercurrent of piracy—a phenomenon that threatens the very creators and innovators who enrich our lives. From box office blockbusters and hit TV shows to beloved music albums and essential software, piracy has become an inescapable riptide, eroding the foundations of creativity and innovation.
In 2022 alone, a staggering 15.5 billion visits were recorded on media pirate sites in the United States, translating into a forecasted revenue loss of roughly $11.6 billion. This not only impacts artists and businesses but also stifles the growth and evolution of the entertainment and music industries. As technology continues to leap forward and consumer habits shift, the landscape of piracy is on the brink of profound changes. The question now is: How will we navigate this challenging terrain to protect the future of digital creativity?
An Overview of Piracy Today
Currently, illegal streaming and piracy are pervasive, facilitated by various online platforms and torrent sites. From 2021 to 2022, there was an 18% increase in content piracy worldwide. This resulted in 215 billion visits to unauthorized sites. TV shows were the most popular type of illegally accessed content, accounting for 46.3% of all visits.
This growth rate, however, is not so low across the board. In 2022, the number of illegally accessed films increased by 36%. This was mainly due to the high demand for “Spiderman: No Way Home” and “The Batman,” featuring Robert Pattinson. Although such pirated content constitutes only a small fraction of the overall content, these two movies contributed significantly to the rise in illegal access. In fact, Marvel and DC films accounted for 70% of piracy traffic within the film industry.
In an effort to understand the cultural attitude toward movie and TV piracy, YouGov interviewed participants from 18 global markets to see if they actively search for digital content from free—albeit illegal—online sources. Only 35% of respondents answered that they stream illegally. According to a recent poll by Variety, only 11% of U.S. adults accessed pirated content in 2022. Among those who did, 48% cited the high cost of legal options as the main incentive.
That piracy cost, however, only refers to the monetary price. The same Variety poll reported that 37% of respondents who access digital content illegally have had their devices infected with malware and viruses. Unfortunately, the risks don’t stop there. Accessing digital content without authorization through a legitimate distributor or streaming and sharing (or distributing) it can have unforeseen consequences and can leave users facing one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
Breaking Down the Future of Piracy: 5 Key Points
As we try to anticipate the future of online piracy in the entertainment industry, it is important to examine five essential factors that will determine the trajectory of illegal streaming: technological advancements, increased enforcement and legislation, shifts in consumer behavior, cybersecurity concerns, and the role of content creators.
Technological Advancements
Emerging technologies have the potential to curb digital piracy and enhance enforcement, and no development has taken the spotlight in the cultural zeitgeist more than artificial intelligence (AI). The hope would be that AI could scan countless piracy websites quickly to find unauthorized content. However, the development of the technology has received backlash. AI uses what’s called “text and data mining,” or TDM, for training, essentially going through large amounts of online data to find patterns based on initial input. This allocation of data has been called a breach of copyright in and of itself, and famous authors, including John Grisham and George R.R. Martin, have joined other writers in launching a lawsuit against one such AI program, ChatGPT.
Such action is not an isolated event. Last year, in July 2023, thousands of authors signed a letter that petitioned companies that use and develop AI, such as Meta and OpenAI, to stop using their content without consent or compensation.
Even if AI is implemented to tackle piracy, research conducted out of Seton Hall University by Lauren P. Haberstroh notes how difficult it is to differentiate between illegal access to digital content and access protected by fair use legislation. Fair use law in the U.S. considers the exact nature of the content and user intent, including whether or not the distribution of content was for commercial or education purposes, the nature of the work in question, the amount or portion of the work accessed (or used) in comparison to the whole, and the potential effects to the market and value of the work.
“The balancing act of preventing the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material while allowing it to be used for educational and artistic purposes is a difficult one, as neither the U.S. nor the E.U. have perfected it,” Haberstroh states.
Increased Enforcement and Legislation
Governments and international organizations are ramping up efforts to combat piracy through enhanced enforcement measures and legislative frameworks. As stated above, pirating digital content already carries hefty fines and jail time in the U.S., and in the U.K., police officers visited 1,000 homes in a recent piracy crackdown.
As of writing, Google has been requested to delist over 8 billion URLs due to copyright infringement. Naturally, not all of these requests are considered legitimate claims, and they do not always end in the removal of the website. However, there are over 500,000 unique organizations advocating on behalf of copyright holders and combing the internet for copyright infractions, so illegal streaming sites and unauthorized distributors may soon find it harder to hide.
In Spain, sports association LaLiga made headlines in its battle against piracy after securing the removal of an illegal streaming app from Google Play. More recently, the country saw a first-ever conviction of a company selling pirated IPTV services.
Future changes in laws and regulations could impose stricter penalties on pirates and provide greater support for rights holders. Collaboration between stakeholders, including content creators, law enforcement agencies, and tech companies, will be crucial in tackling piracy effectively on a global scale.
Shifts in Consumer Behavior
Changing consumer preferences and behaviors will also influence the future of piracy. In 2022, streaming was the method of choice for illegal access to TV and film content. Illegal streaming was used in 95% of cases to access TV and 57% of cases to access film. Other methods included web downloads and public torrents.
As previously mentioned, the decision to engage with pirated content in this way was largely driven by money, specifically the price of legal alternatives, as reported by Variety. By summer 2023, most companies were experiencing record churn rates. Then, in the fall of 2023, seven major streaming platforms raised their prices, which added to the financial pressure users felt and an even greater rate of churn. After a dip going into 2024, the churn rates of all nine streaming platforms observed were trending up, meaning more viewers are using paid streaming services to guarantee a legal, enjoyable user experience.
Legitimate streaming services may need to look for a solution lest they exacerbate the problem and drive more viewers into the waiting arms of unauthorized platforms.
Cybersecurity Concerns
Illegal streaming platforms are constantly updating their strategies and finding new ways to lure users in. Many of these TV and movie piracy sites run off of ad revenue, taking a cut from every impression, click, or sale. This means that engaging with the site—even if no ads are clicked—can increase the recorded traffic and thereby increase the amount the site can charge its advertisers. Simply put, the more traffic such sites get, the more dollars go into criminal hands.
However, simple advertising is just one financial strategy illegal streaming sites can employ. Many illegal platforms will sell users’ data to third parties. Everything from names, addresses, and even credit card numbers can go up for sale to the highest bidder. Needless to say, the user is not always willingly, or even knowingly, passing this information along to the site. Illegal streaming platforms can use malware to infect a user’s device. Once the virus, spyware, or ransomware is in the device’s system, criminals can use it to access highly sensitive information, open the door for inappropriate or unsolicited ads, or alter the functionality of the device until payment is made to restore it.
To complicate matters further, probes that test for viruses or malicious intent are not always consistent. Recent research from the University of Hawai‘i found mixed results or suspected false negatives when using VirusTotal and MetaDefender to scan Pirate Bay, YTS.mx, 1137.x, 123Movie, and Putlocker. The report explains that such illegal sites are erroneously categorized as safe because virus scanners are often limited and only able to scan the content of the URL itself. As the study points out, malware is often packaged into downloadable content, which cannot be scanned until the download is complete or the content is opened, at which point the virus would already have access to the host device.
Even as security measures become more sophisticated, advances in hacking techniques and cybercrime infrastructure could pose new challenges for data protection. The safest course of action now and in the future is to access content only through official distributors and well-known streaming services.
The Role of Content Creators
In the coming years, the best thing content creators can do is make sure that their content is, in fact, copyrighted. This is especially important for small brands or independent influencers who are not represented by any agency or distributor. In the United States, copyrights are issued by the U.S. Copyright Office, and copyright applications can be submitted through their Registration Portal.
Upon securing their copyright, creators can always turn to anti-piracy agencies for help enforcing them. Companies like AGS in the U.S. and Pellonia in Canada specialize in the protection of online assets through high-level detection and removal processes.
How StreamSafely Can Help You Prepare
In navigating the evolving landscape of piracy, knowledge and awareness are paramount. StreamSafely provides valuable resources and insights to help you understand the risks associated with piracy and adopt safe and legal alternatives from verified providers. From understanding the legal actions and implications surrounding piracy to advising the best practices for safeguarding personal data and devices against cyber threats, StreamSafely offers comprehensive guidance to protect you in an increasingly digital world.
As the future unfolds, it is essential to stay informed and be proactive to stop piracy and protect content owners. By leveraging the expertise and resources available through StreamSafely, you can contribute to a safer and more secure future for content creation. Together, we can stop anything from entertainment to software piracy in its tracks.
