Disney Star trains Dubai Police, will expand anti-piracy drive in GCC countries

The Disney Star’s anti-piracy team recently trained Dubai police and law enforcement agencies on combating content piracy in the region. Sources have indicated that the team will also train law enforcement agencies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Digital video piracy results in revenue losses ranging from $40 to $97 billion for the global film industry. The losses for the global television industry are estimated to be between $40 billion and $95 billion. The Indian entertainment sector experiences an annual revenue loss of approximately $2.8 billion due to digital piracy, according to a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

On September 19, Storyboard18 reported that Disney Star India has taken its fight against piracy to the international level by conducting an operation to raid a suspected rogue Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) provider in Dubai. The raid led to the seizure of multiple IPTV boxes containing 12,000 pirated premium channels and content from various rights holders.

The illegal sale of these IPTV boxes undermines the principles of broadcast licensing and negatively affects the fees broadcasters pay for sports and entertainment rights.

A source close to the development said, “We have noticed that a majority of the pirates in these regions are from Pakistan and Bangladesh. The content they illegally distribute belongs to multiple rights holders. The team recently trained the Dubai police officers and other law enforcement agencies.”

The source claimed that Disney’s anti-piracy team will meet with law enforcement agencies in GCC countries in phases to train them on anti-piracy laws and the methods used by notorious content pirates. The idea is to not only spread awareness but to also build a network for swift crackdown on notorious pirates. Moreover, the Disney Star's anti-piracy team is closely monitoring two notorious content pirates operating in India and MENA region.

In November 2023, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated that the film industry faces losses of up to Rs 20,000 crore every year due to piracy. The MIB also established an institutional mechanism of Nodal Officers to receive complaints against piracy and direct intermediaries to remove pirated content from digital platforms.

Earlier, in June 2024, the Ahmedabad Police, along with Disney Star's anti-piracy team led by Major Ashok Yadav, dismantled a network of illegal streaming websites broadcasting ICC T20 World Cup matches. This operation led to the shutdown of platforms like magicwin.games and magicwin.com, which were not only streaming live cricket matches but also promoting illegal betting activities.