News

We took stock of the year 2018

Scaling up the Sygnal’s activities to international level was a priority last year. The key event therefore was organizing The International Content Protection Summit on international cooperation in combating the theft of audio-visual content. The Summit took place in Warsaw on 18-19 October, 2019 and resulted in adoption of “The Warsaw Declaration” – an agreement signed by 35 international and local organisations, institutions and companies for the future cooperation.

The ICPS constitutes one of the elements of an international antipiracy front. Looking for more effective methods of combating the theft of television content Sygnal creates an international antipiracy coalition and activities addressed to other countries. This purpose was served by the  Sygnal’s representatives participation in the Kiev’s Conference organized by Interpol and USPTO and the „MESA Europe Content Protection Summit” that took place in London.

The ICPS followed the Conference “Counteracting the Theft of TV Signal in Cooperation with Telecom Operators” organized in partnership with the Polish National Police Headquarters and held in Rawa Mazowiecka on September 27-27, 2018  and subsequently, there has been a nationwide training program “piractwo.tv” (tv.piracy) launched and addressed to police officers and prosecutors. Within the frame of this project Sygnal’s members conduct a nationwide trainings on the online theft of Intellectual Property Rights and TV signal. The programme had its official opening in Gdansk’s Regional Police Headquarters on December 11, 2018.

Other important Sygnal’s initiatives included: organization of trainings for law enforcement and workshops for the members’ companies, presenting the positions and highlighting challenges in the audio-visual sector and the piracy combat, attending discussions on the IPR protection.

Implementation of the „Follow the Money” strategy, including the continuation of the campaign addressed to the advertising market and encouraging it to a reasonable budget accommodation on the Internet also figured very high on the Sygnal’s agenda last year. This strategy along with the other activities based on cooperation with payment intermediaries have materialised into significant results.

In year 2018 the Association created and published a brochure “Kradzież treści TV w Internecie. Metodyka postępowania” (Online Content Theft. Investigative Methodology. ”  with the main purpose to support the law enforcement representatives.  The brochure includes the legal and the technical aspects related to the theft of an online TV content.

Cooperation with other organizations

Within the frame of the Creative Poland Association we have been actively cooperating with different non-TV creative sectors throughout the year. On July 3, 2018 we attended the Creative Poland Association press conference about the work of the European Parliament in respect of copyright protection Directive.

Enhance cooperation with The Polish Chamber of Commerce for Electronics and Telecommunications (KIGEiT) and its Intellectual Rights Protection Section chaired by Teresa Wierzbowska also took place. The Section took part in all consultations in which Sygnal presented its views in 2018.

The Association established cooperation with Fundacja Przeciwdziałania Cyberprzestępczości  (Foundation for the Fight Against Cybercrime) founded by Marek Wierzbicki, Jerzy Kosiński and Marcin Golizda.

The Foundations’ objective is aimed at combating cybercrime based on involvement and mobilisation of experts and experienced police officers.

Together with the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry (ZPAV) and Business Software Alliance (BSA) whom with the Association establishes Antipiracy Coalition the selected Police Cybercrime Units were selected and nominated to “Zlote Blachy Awards” (Golden Badge Awards) presented by the Police Commander in Chief. The ceremony took place on March 15, 2019.

Cooperation with law enforcement authorities

Trainings addressed to law enforcement authorities that have been conducted since the beginning of Sygnal played the very important part in 2018 – 20 trainings for 1011 participants took place.

Conferences carried out in cooperation with law enforcement authorities:

  • 4-5 April , 2018, School Police in Pila – the VI edition of Conference “Combating the theft of TV Signal. Crime against the intellectual property rights.”
  • 25-27 September, 2018, Ossa – Conference “Counteracting the Theft of TV Signal in Cooperation with Telecom Operators” addressed to 120 law enforcement officers and prosecutors in partnership with the Polish National Police Headquarters.

Sygnal submitted 28 motions for criminal prosecution to punish perpetrators for stealing TV signal

As in previous years, also in 2018 Sygnal’s members provided their assistance to law enforcement authorities during a dozen of operations.

Conferences and workshops

Representatives of the Association took part in a few Conferences on IPR’s infrinfgements and activities reinforcing copyrights protection.

We attended:

  • Conference in Kiev organized by Interpol and USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office)
  • an online training addressed to the Ukrainian police officers from the cybercrime units which took part in Kiev’s Conference
  • „ICT Crime XXI” Conference in Maritime Academy of Gdynia during which the Sygnal’s representative gave presentation
  • London’s Conference „MESA Europe Content Protection Summit” during which Signal’s representative informed about the “Warsaw Declaration”

In May Sygnal Association organized workshops on cooperation with the Inspector General of Financial Information – based on the law on prevention of money-laundering and terrorist financing.

“Follow the Money” Campaign

In 2018 Signal continued activities under “Follow the Money” campaign. The Black List of copyright infringements was updated constantly. In regards to monitoring of commercials there was a full integration of the Black List with Gemius AdReal. New media houses and associations representing common activities of advertisers, agents and the media joined the Follow the Money operations.

Activities which interrupt the chain of payment on pirates’ websites were continued

A permanent contact with payment cards’ and bank transfers’ intermediaries was established. An on-call time system/A rostering system among the Signal members to remove illegal offers from the online auctions’ sites and e-commerce platforms (Allegro, eBay, OLX).

The “Follow the Money” initiative was presented during Warsaw’s ICPS Conference, in Kiev and in Rawa Mazowiecka. Signal repeatedly shared its experience with its foreign partners in 2018.

Sygnal in the Media:

Several tens of publications on the Association’s activities were published in 2018

The most significant articles:

  • “Changes on CDA.pl i Meczyki.pl: real measures to address piracy or the fake P.R. feature story ? ”, wirtualnemedia.pl
  • “How to Combat Piracy? Sternowski: Strategy “Follow the Money” brings results”, gazetaprawna.pl
  • “Copyright: Counteracting the Pirated Content Can Be More Effective ”, „Rzeczpospolita”
  • “Teresa Wierzbowska. Follow the money and you will find the mafia”, legalnakultura.pl
  • “The International Anti-Piracy Front is Taking Shape”, TV Lider