United Media, which owns popular television channels Sport Klub, N1, TOP, Grand, Pikaboo and others, announced today that it has become a member of the Audiovisual Anti-piracy Alliance (AAPA). It will be the first AAPA member from the West Balkans region.

Through the AAPA, United Media is deepening its collaboration with Interpol, Europol, the police, and state authorities in order to protect intellectual property rights and prevent piracy. AAPA membership will also help to improve the efficiency of how piracy is combatted, through sharing intel, monitoring trends, improving mutual cooperation, and enabling communication with numerous institutions.

The AAPA brings together the largest names in the media industry, such as Sky, Discovery, Viaccess, Vodafone, Bein Sports, Canal+, Premier League, LaLiga, and Liberty Global, and the largest names in the digital security industry, such as Irdeto, Nagra, Irderto, and NDS. AAPA members collaborate on numerous issues, from implementing the latest security technologies, proposing relevant legislation, and collaborating with intermediaries/brokers to remove pirated content, terminate payment orders, and shut down ISP servers/servers through ISPs.

The AAPA has spearheaded and participated in numerous anti-piracy initiatives, in collaboration with Interpol and Europol. One example is the arrest of three illegal distributors of more than 160 television channels in Poland this year. The police operation led to the seizure of servers, computers, set top boxes, tablet, phones, hard drives and documentation. It is estimated that value of the illegal operation was around EUR 820,000.

Streaming piracy is an increasing larger problem that affects content owners, broadcasters and operators around the world. Searches and raids carried out by organizations such as Interpol and Europol, in collaboration with the AAPA, police and its members, point to the gravity of these crimes.

Through the partnership with the AAPA, United Media will keep up with the latest standards in content protection/conditional access and, in collaboration with international stakeholders, it will suppress pirated content and contribute to the struggle against online piracy as a form of organized international crime.