SÃO PAULO – With support from the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the world’s leading anti-piracy coalition, a team of global law enforcement authorities has completed the fifth wave of a far-reaching antipiracy action in Brazil.
Twelve piracy operators were arrested in the Brazilian states of Bahia, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Pernambuco and São Paulo.
The actions are attributed to a broad international coalition in what has been called ‘Operation 404,’ including:
- Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security’s National Secretariat for Public Security (SENASP) and its Cyber Lab team
- U.S.-based Entertainment Software Association
- UK’s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit
- Peru’s National Institute of the Defense of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI)
- Brazilian film industry’s regulatory agency, ANCINE
- Brazil’s national telecommunications agency, ANATEL
Since the inception of ‘Operation 404’ in 2019, a total of 1,974 websites have been blocked, 783 apps have been removed from online app stores and 128 search and seizure warrants have been carried out in 20 Brazilian states.
“The operation in Brazil demonstrates the truly global reach of ACE and its powerful network of collaborators, and I’d like to thank all of the agencies that were involved in identifying and apprehending these criminal operators,” said Jan van Voorn, Executive Vice President and Global Content Protection Chief of the Motion Picture Association and Head of ACE. “The size and scale of the operation sends a strong message to those who participate in the illegal distribution of intellectual property on a commercial scale: no matter what corner of the world you operate in, you may be found and brought to justice.”
ACE worked with SENASP’s Cyber Lab in identifying, vetting and investigating targets. Cyber Lab also provided logistics and operational support throughout the process.
“The coordinated efforts of the judiciary police forces and the intellectual property industry associations have resulted in a tremendously successful outcome for all five waves of Operation 404,” said Alesandro Gonçalves Barreto, Chief of the Brazilian Ministry of Justice, National Secretariat for Public Safety’s Cyber Lab Task Force. “The use of best practices and the consistent flow of information have contributed to the success of the partnership. It’s critical that we continue existing partnerships and look to build new ones in our united fight to mitigate piracy and reduce incidences of copyright infringement.”
About The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) is the world’s leading coalition dedicated to protecting the dynamic legal 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 sources of unauthorized content and their operators. Drawing upon the collective expertise and resources of more than 50 media and entertainment companies around the world and reinforced by the content protection operations of the Motion Picture Association, ACE protects the creativity and innovation that drive the global growth of core copyright and entertainment industries. The current governing board members for ACE are Amazon, Apple TV+, NBCUniversal, Netflix Studios LLC, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Paramount, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, and Warner Bros. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE. For more information, please visit www.alliance4creativity.com.
ACE Media Contact
Pamela Corante
pamela_corante@motionpictures.org
