OSN joins ACE’s global battle against content piracy

Dubai-based media group OSN has joined anti-piracy coalition the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment. OSN is one of 11 companies to have joined ACE in the last month, expanding its ability to combat illegal piracy operations around the world.

Joe Kawkabani

OSN Group CEO Joe Kawkabani said: “At OSN, we believe in the value of creative content and the hard work of the talented individuals who produce it. We also recognise the growing threat of piracy, which not only hurts the bottom line of our industry, but also undermines the efforts of artists and creators in the MENA region.”

By linking up with ACE, said Kawkabani, “we are joining forces with like-minded organisations to combat this serious problem and protect the interests of our industry. We look forward to working with the other members of ACE to develop effective strategies and solutions to address the challenges of piracy.”

Jan van Voorn, EVP and global content protection Chief of the Motion Picture Association and head of ACE, applauded OSN for its commitment to fight piracy. “Working with OSN, I’m confident we will make significant progress fighting these illegal piracy operations that pose serious threats to the creative economy.”

OSN is active across 22 countries in the MENA region with a combination of linear channels, streaming and b2b offerings. Like many parts of the world, MENA has long had a problem with piracy – a problem that seems to be gathering pace.

In November 2022, Tim Pearson, VP solution marketing at content security specialist NAGRA said: “Piracy in the MENA region is growing, fast. Regional streaming services need content, and this has driven demand for original Arabic content which in turn has increased the amount of content produced in the region. The appetite for local content is matched by challenges seen elsewhere. These are a fragmented content offering, overwhelming customer choice and an increased demand for safeguards. The sum of all these parts makes for a larger attack area for pirates who create new offers where full catalogues of content can be accessed in one place for an unbelievably low price.”