The Growing Concern about Online Piracy

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. While most people would like nothing better than to access their favorite content free of cost, online piracy isn’t a victimless crime. It hurts the creators who poured their heart and soul into making the shows and movies you love.

It’s not news that piracy is on the rise. With the increasing number of streaming services on the market and measures like Netlfix’s anti-account sharing, people are looking for affordable alternatives. But piracy is not the right course.

This is an in-depth look at online piracy, how it works, its contributors, and its impact on streaming services and content creators. It’s not as harmless as you might believe, and a look behind the scenes might just convince you to give it up.

Let’s begin by looking at why people visit pirate sites.

The Popularity of Pirate Sites

A significant chunk of the online population visits pirate sites. Whether it’s for movies, TV shows, songs, or video games, there is a pirate site dedicated to each form of media. But why are these sites so effective at stealing consumers from paid platforms? Let’s look at a few reasons why piracy flourishes on the web.

1. Ease of Accessibility

The biggest selling point of pirate streaming services is their accessibility. You can find them with the click of a few buttons and immediately start watching what you want. The fact that they’re free also helps, as people unwilling to pay for their entertainment, for whatever reason, find this a very alluring choice.

However, this often comes with a downside. Constant pop-ups and irrelevant ads hamper the viewing experience to some extent. But, as the data shows, many people are willing to put up with ads today, especially if it means a free alternative.

2. A Smorgasbord of Content

Pirate sites often host content from major OTT providers. This means they offer an all-in-one service, allowing people to find all their media in one place. This starkly contrasts how paid platforms work, as different studios are affiliated with different streaming providers.

With Disney, Warner Brothers, and Paramount bringing their own services to the streaming wars, the number of paid platforms increases every year. As such, a pirate site providing all content in one place is a refreshing sight for someone who doesn’t want to invest in more than one service.

3. No Waiting Time

Unlike streaming services, pirates quickly upload popular content almost on the same day as the official release. While theatrical movies might initially be in cam-quality, DVD and direct-to-video releases are uploaded in glorious HD. The fastest way to access new content is typically a pirate site.

These advantages over streaming services are why pirate sites have always been popular. They were big before the age of streaming, and it looks like they are not slowing down, judging by the subscriber churn rates of 2024.

But who exactly are these people fueling the fire behind pirate sites? Let’s dig into the different types of pirates lurking in the digital shadows.

Types of Pirates

Pirates are the people who supply and consume pirated content. Thanks to their contributions, pirate sites keep cropping up and sometimes run for decades. Typically, two types of pirates contribute to the upkeep of pirate sites on the Internet.

• Hardcore Pirates: These are the site suppliers and curators. They employ advanced hacking techniques to bypass security measures and steal content directly from the source. Typically, this results in the violation of several cybersecurity laws, as well as privacy and copyright infringement.
• Casual Pirates: Casual pirates are on the other end of the spectrum. These individuals consume pirated content without actively participating in illegal activities. They may not understand the technical aspects of piracy but still contribute to the problem by accessing pirated streams and downloads.

While casual pirates are complicit in the existence and longevity of pirate sites, hardcore pirates are the real threat. Their methods of stealing content from legitimate streaming providers are some of the trickiest strategies to counter. 

Let’s look at some of their tactics.

Methods Used to Acquire Content

From new releases to HD screeners of classics, pirates seem to have access to it all. If you’re wondering how they get their hands on any and everything available online, here are a few avenues they employ.

1. Illegal Access to Streaming Services

Credential theft is a common way for pirates to access and steal streaming content. By hacking into existing accounts, pirates can make good use of the subscription duration and scrub as much content as possible. They may even sell the account later to make some bonus cash.

They may even employ advanced hacking tools to hack into streaming servers. For them, this is a gold mine, allowing them full access to their content library.

2. The Classic Approach: Ripping and Camcording

Two of the oldest techniques used by pirates are ripping and camera recording. These are commonly used to access new content that is not yet on streaming platforms and is only available in physical media or theaters.

• Ripping DVDs: Pirates often rip DVDs, Blu-rays, and other physical media to create digital copies. These digital copies can then be uploaded to pirate sites for streaming or download.
• Camcording: This involves recording movies in theaters using cameras or smartphones. While the video quality of these recordings is often poor, they can still be valuable to pirates, especially for highly anticipated releases.

3. Accessing Screeners

Screeners are early copies of movies and TV shows sent to critics, industry professionals, and journalists for review purposes. Pirates often target screeners, as they can provide high-quality content before its official release.

Accessing screeners can be challenging, as they are usually protected by digital rights management (DRM) technologies. However, determined pirates may find ways to circumvent these protections.

While these are some of the primary methods pirates use to access content illegally, they are by no means the only ones. Whatever means they employ, their casual disregard for privacy and copyright laws results in losses for paid platforms. 

It’s time to look at how the work of pirates affects content creators and distributors.

Impact on Creators and Streaming Providers

You don’t need us to tell you that online piracy hurts the legitimate creators behind pirated movies and shows. Pirated content typically impacts the grassroots more than the executives running the production houses.

1. Financial Loss: Pirate sites take away much-needed revenue from content creators and distributors. When you choose to watch content illegally, you’re essentially stealing from those who worked hard to produce it. This lost revenue can impact the quality and quantity of future content and companies’ ability to invest in new projects.
2. Displaced Viewership: By offering free, easily accessible content, pirate sites siphon viewers away from legitimate streaming services. This displacement of viewership can lead to projects being deemed failures despite their quality and subsequent cancellation. Just look at the recent cancellation of Netflix’s ‘Kaos,’ which was scrapped after one season due to poor viewing numbers.

These significant losses for streaming providers translate into a lot of gains for the pirates.

Financial Gains for Pirates

If you think pirates indulge in piracy out of the goodness of their hearts, think again. Piracy has always been a transactional business, be it on the high seas or in the depths of the online world. The casual pirate may get to enjoy their favorite movie for free, but the hardcore pirate reaps a lot more than just convenience.

1. Revenue Through Ad-Supported Piracy

Many pirate sites rely on advertising revenue to sustain their operations. By embedding ads into their streams and websites, pirates can earn money from each ad view. This revenue stream allows them to maintain their servers, pay for bandwidth, and fund further development of their platforms.

2. Premium Piracy

Some pirate sites offer premium memberships that provide additional benefits, such as ad-free streaming, early access to new content, and higher-quality video streams. Pirates can generate substantial income by charging a fee for these premium memberships.

3. Data Theft and Extortion

In more extreme cases, pirates may engage in data theft and extortion. They may steal sensitive information, such as credit card details or personal data, and sell it on the black market. Additionally, they may extort money from companies by threatening to release stolen data or disrupt their services.

While these are some benefits hardcore pirates reap from piracy, casual pirates are not so lucky. They must be aware of certain risks when accessing pirated sites and indirectly participating in illegal activities.

The Price of Piracy

While pirated streaming sites may seem like a harmless way to enjoy free entertainment, there are significant risks associated with using them:

• Malware and Cyber Threats: Pirated sites are often riddled with malicious software, such as viruses, spyware, and ransomware. By visiting these sites or downloading pirated content, you expose your devices to potential cyberattacks that can compromise your personal information and financial security.  
• Funding Organized Crime: Organized crime syndicates may use the profits from piracy to fund their activities. By using pirated sites, you inadvertently contribute to these criminal organizations. You may be indirectly supporting illegal activities like drug trafficking, human trafficking, and money laundering.

With these points in mind, let’s look at ways to combat piracy.

Measures to Combat Piracy

It is time to stop viewing piracy as a convenient alternative. While it may seem like a victimless crime, that is far from the truth. Many people are caught in a hacker’s net, and many others have been extorted or duped into giving pirates money. To combat the growing threat of piracy, measures need to be implemented.

1. Shutting Down Pirate Sites

Law enforcement agencies and internet service providers are working together to identify and shut down major pirate streaming sites. By taking down these platforms, authorities aim to disrupt the supply of illegal content and make it more difficult for users to access them. You can help this movement by reporting pirate sites to the appropriate cybercrime agencies.

Collaborate with cybersecurity experts to strengthen your online presence. These experts play a crucial role in developing innovative solutions to combat piracy and can help detect and prevent cybersecurity attacks.

2. Cracking Down on Illegal Distribution Channels in Open Source Communities

Due to its lax content moderation policies, open-source communities like Telegram have become a hub for trading illegal goods and media. These are prime spots for free distribution of paid content and building a free-viewership. The platforms are also often used to also upsell and auction off such items. 

Currently, telegram is partnering with law enforcement to share user data in a bid to put a stop to illegal activities. Telegram has revised its terms of service as a first step in this direction. New measures prevent users from searching for illegal goods or content through the platform’s search feature. You can also contribute to this move by reporting suspicious accounts.

3. Anti-Piracy Measures by OTT Providers

If you are an OTT provider, consider investing in advanced technologies to protect your content from piracy. This includes implementing DRM systems and watermarking content, as well as using geo-blocking to restrict access to specific regions.

Take legal action against any individuals and organizations involved in piracy on your platform. You can deter future piracy and recover damages by filing lawsuits and seeking injunctions. You can also encourage your users to consume digital content responsibly by educating them about the legal and ethical implications of piracy.

Conclusion

Pirated streaming sites continue to pose a significant challenge to legitimate streaming services, impacting revenue and growth. Despite efforts to combat piracy, it remains a persistent issue.

As technology evolves, so too do the tactics of pirates. Continued vigilance, collaboration, and innovation are essential to effectively address this ongoing threat to the entertainment industry.

If you suddenly start losing revenue on your OTT platform, it may be because of piracy. A good analysis of your viewer data can help you gain more insight into the problem. MediaMelon’s SmartSight QoE solutions give you an in-depth look at your streaming data and offer valuable intel on viewer behavior. With data-driven insights, you can cultivate a loyal consumer base and unlock higher NPS, ad revenue, and user engagement.

Book a demo with our video experts to see how MediaMelon can be tailored to meet your OTT platform’s unique needs and deliver powerful results in action.