Blog Archives

CASBAA joins in sponsoring Satellite Connectivity Workshop

CASBAA joined its member companies and other stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific satellite industry in organizing a Satellite Connectivity Workshop in Fiji on April 24, 2017 in conjunction with the Policy and Regulatory Forum for the Pacific (PRFP), arranged by the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity. APT members and friends spent a day discussing important issues affecting the communications industries in the Pacific Islands, including:

Session 1: Satellites – Providing Essential Connectivity in the Pacific

Satellite Systems and their Benefit in the Pacific (Vanuatu Experience)
Satellite Broadband as a Key Contributor to USO Programs in the Pacific
Satellite Capacity for Redundancy Planning and Emergencies

Session 2: Innovation – New Satellite Technologies and Services in the Pacific
Innovations in satellite technology – more cost-effective, better quality and better performance
Next Generation Satellites The Path for the Pacific Islands
O3b’s New Satellite Technology and Services in the Pacific
The Role of Satellite in 5G
New Inmarsat satellites and the need for harmonized licensing of satellite terminals
Satellite Service provision in the Pacific; Regulatory consideration

Session 3: Satellite Spectrum Issues at the World Radio Conference WRC-15, WRC-19
WRC-15 Outcome? Some decisions related to Space services
WRC-15 and the road to WRC-19
Earth Stations in Motion (ESIM) Studies in the Ka-Band (WRC-19 A.I. 1.5) and other ITU-R relevant issues

All available presentations on these topics can be downloaded from the APT website.

Understanding Illicit Streaming Devices (ISDs)

CASBAA provides a brief summary on understanding how Illicit Streaming Devices (ISDs) operate, a major issue in the Asia-Pacific TV industry. ISD delivery of content through illegitimate means is highly damaging to creative industries. Devices that receive streamed content are illegally distributed without authorization from rights-holder and therefore violate a number of copyright laws. The following paper will give a breakdown on the different features of illicit streaming servers how they can be distinguished from legitimate TV devices.

 

Briefing Paper on Understanding Illicit Streaming Devices

CASBAA provides comments on Ministry of Law’s copyright consultation

In this paper, we offer to MinLaw and IPOS our considered reactions to the proposals in the Consultation Paper. In addition, in keeping with the broad scope of the consultation and the need to ensure that policymakers are aware of developing trends in distribution of legitimate and illegitimate content offerings, we will offer some general background on the growth of new types of infringement in Singapore and Asia, and some specific suggestions for amendments in the Copyright Law to make it more effective in the new digital environment.
Annexure A to CASBAA Submission – Allen and Gledhill Legal Advice

2016-11-03 Final CASBAA Submission to MinLaw on Copyright Consultation

NBTC Study of Procedures for Competition Regulation for OTT TV

This is the Final Report on ‘Competition Regulation on OTT TV’ (Over the Top Television) which covers understanding of the project, study guidelines, methodology, study of comparative OTT TV markets, impact of OTT TV, regulatory environment in foreign countries (International Study), analysis of the Thai market, summary of findings of focus group, response from capacity building of NBTC personnel, resulting in the final recommendations and regulatory impact analysis.

 

Please download translated excerpts from the report below:
Summary and TOC of Time Consulting Report on OTT
Chapter 6 (Thailand Market) from Time Consulting Report on OTT

Intellectual Property in Broadcasting – Annual U.S. Review

CASBAA’s submission to this year’s intellectual property review by the U.S. Trade Representative documents an ongoing decline in IP protection in many Asian markets – due directly to mushrooming piracy as broadband networks are built out. Among other issues, the submission comments on:

  • The Chinese IT industry’s supportive role in global TV piracy
  • Hong Kong’s decline from being an IP policy leader, as even modest attempts to improve copyright legislation flounder
  • India’s efforts to use cable digitization to repress cable piracy
  • Indonesian issues on piracy as well as market access
  • Failure of Thailand’s new copyright law to make any impact on online piracy

Read more here.

Online Advertising Support for Piracy Growing

CASBAA presented an overview of the development of online advertising support for piracy in Asian markets to the annual meeting of the Copyright Committee of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. The presentation can be downloaded here.

The problems, as noted in the presentation are that:

–  Advertising revenues make piracy of broadcast content a lucrative racket, and as a result…

–  …Asian broadcasters’ programs and broadcast streams are increasing being pirated online.

–  Measures adopted in large, English-speaking overseas markets to improve ad industry practices have not had automatic follow-on effects in Asian markets, and as a result, websites pirating Asian content seem particularly well-supported by mainstream advertising, despite contradictory corporate policies put in place for the English web.

–  “High-risk” advertising (for porn, gambling, scams, malware, etc.) is also prominent on Asian piracy websites, which are responsible for propagating social values that many Asian governments abhor.

The presentation mentions deterrent steps taken in other parts of the world, including advertising Codes of Practice, interfering with payment processing, and site blocking of the most egregious piracy websites.

CASBAA members who are interested in more background information, copies of research studies, etc. can find more links here:
http://www.casbaa.com/regulatory/ad-awareness-studies-in-asia-2/

Everything’s Moving Online: Annual US report on notorious piracy markets documents shift to greater online piracy.

The US Trade Representative published its annual report on notorious piracy markets, and the report continues a shift toward greater emphasis on online piracy websites. The 2014 list reflects nominations of sites that engage in copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting as well as registrars that facilitate the distribution of pirated and counterfeit products, including medicines.

In earlier years, the report focused entirely on physical markets, but now, USTR noted, “The Internet has brought about a global revolution in the authorized and unauthorized distribution of films, music, software, video games, and books. In many markets, unauthorized online distribution of, or access to, copyright-protected content largely has replaced unauthorized distribution via physical media.” So the report focuses on both virtual and physical marketplaces. Interestingly, USTR observed that this year it “received fewer nominations for physical markets than in the past.”

Asia comes in for discussion in several places. Physical markets in Thailand, India and Indonesia are listed, along with websites in China and Vietnam. The biggest attention is focused, not surprisingly, on China: “several of the nominations identified China as the primary source of counterfeit products. Worldwide, from the Americas, to Africa, to Eastern Europe, and in Southeast Asia, Chinese-origin counterfeit goods find their way into markets, businesses, and homes.”

The entire report can be read here.

Join our newsletter