MADRID – Collaboration between the Spanish National Police, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), and major local rightsholders in Spain has culminated in a new milestone in the fight against audiovisual and live event piracy with the conviction of the operators the largest illegal IPTV networks in Europe.
The case began with the investigation and dismantling of this organization in 2020. Today’s decision from the Spanish National Court closes a historic case against a network that offered illicit access to thousands of movies, series and pay television channels, as well as live football matches globally.
“Collaboration between the Spanish National Police and the private sector is central to ACE’s strategy to detect, deter, and dismantle digital piracy networks,” said Larissa Knapp, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer at the Motion Picture Association (MPA). “This case shows that when we work together, major illegal operations can be disrupted and those responsible are held accountable.”
José Luis Gómez Pidal, Chief Inspector of the Spanish National Police, said, “this is a landmark ruling against one of the largest international criminal organizations dedicated to audiovisual piracy. The investigation has been groundbreaking in exposing the inner workings of these structures and introducing new technological methods to the Spanish judicial system. At the same time, the case has revealed how digital piracy is intertwined with complex money laundering networks in various countries, using multiple channels to support and divert the enormous profits generated.”
He added that “the multimillion-euro fines for money laundering and the civil liabilities imposed reflect the magnitude of the illicit gains. In this success, the public-private collaboration between the National Police, ACE, and the other plaintiffs has been the determining factor.”
The network served over a million paying users worldwide, operated through nearly a thousand websites, and offered access to a massive library of popular audiovisual content. The organization, structured around platforms like RapidIPTV and other associated services, is believed to have earned over €15 million ($17.6 million) by selling these access points in countries across three continents.
The main perpetrator and mastermind lived a life of luxury in Barcelona, from where he directed the organization. The ringleader has accepted a 23-month prison sentence, an €8.7 million ($10.2 million) fine, and the confiscation of all seized material. He has also been barred from working in the audiovisual sector for three years. Further, the court has ordered €12 million ($14.1 million) in compensation for the impacted rightsholders.
All five defendants have accepted the charges in exchange for a reduction in sentences, admitting to various crimes against intellectual property, the market and consumers, and in several cases, money laundering.
Success of public-private cooperation against piracy
This resolution has been made possible thanks to collaboration between police authorities, the audiovisual industry guided by ACE, MediaPro, Sky, and EGEDA; as well as LaLiga, including NAGRA (representing the Bundesliga) and Telefónica.
The 2020 operation was led by the intellectual property and industry team and the anti-piracy unit of the National Police, with support from Europol and Eurojust in international coordination, and had the support of actors from the audiovisual and sports industries.
ACE actively worked within this temporary coalition that spearheaded the response against a network illegally exploiting sports broadcasts and other audiovisual content such as films and series. The legal outcome underscores the importance of combining investigative capacity and international cooperation.
A strong message against audiovisual piracy
This legal ruling sends a clear message to cybercriminals involved in digital piracy; crimes against intellectual property, especially when carried out on a large scale and with international structures, carry extremely serious criminal and financial consequences.
According to data from the latest Piracy Observatory by the Creators Coalition and Indus, in Spain alone the audiovisual industry had to contend with the illegal downloading of 1.045 billion films, valued at €8.723 billion ($10.3 billion), and 1.513 billion tv shows, valued at €2.086 billion ($2.5 billion). This activity by pirate users has resulted in lost profits for the sector of no less than €721 million ($848 million). Furthermore, in Spain, nearly 4 out of 10 users accessed illegal content, and almost half of the pirated material consisted of new releases.
About The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) is the world’s leading coalition dedicated to protecting the legal creative market and reducing digital piracy. Driven by a comprehensive approach to addressing piracy through criminal referrals, civil litigation, and cease-and-desist operations, ACE has achieved many successful global enforcement actions against illegal streaming services and unauthorized content sources and their operators. Drawing upon the collective expertise and resources of more than 50 media and entertainment companies around the world—including sports channels and associations – and reinforced by the Motion Picture Association’s content protection operations, ACE protects the creativity and innovation that drives the global growth of core copyright and entertainment industries. The current governing board members for ACE are Amazon, Apple TV, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE.
ACE Media Contact
Pamela Corante
pamela_corante@motionpictures.org
ACE Press Contact (Spain)
Ana Pereira / Sonsoles Martín / Sofía Sardá
+34 915 76 52 50
apereira@estudiodecomunicacion.com
smartin@estudiodecomunicacion.com
ssarda@estudiodecomunicacion.com
