A session titled “Piracy: Safeguarding Content through Technology” was held at WAVES 2025, bringing together experts from the media, legal, and cybersecurity sectors.
Moderated by Neil Gane, Vice President and Head of Asia Pacific at IP House, the discussion reflected a growing consensus: piracy is no longer a fringe issue but a mainstream threat requiring coordinated, multi-pronged action.
Vivek Couto, Managing and Executive Director of Media Partners Asia, emphasized the economic toll of unchecked piracy. “Online piracy is projected to cost the industry over 10 per cent in lost revenue between 2025 and 2029,” he stated.
He added, “Effective anti-piracy enforcement could increase the number of legal video service users by 25 per cent and unlock a US $ 0.5 billion boost in content investment, raising the sector’s total value to US $ 3.8 billion by 2029.”
Couto urged stakeholders to reframe the piracy conversation from one of protection to one of potential, especially as India’s digital video economy continues to expand.
Dr Shruti Mantri, Associate Director at the ISB Institute of Data Science, underscored the link between digital piracy and cybercrime. “Piracy often involves malicious tools like trojans, ransomware, and spyware. Users aged 18–24 are especially vulnerable,” she noted.
Dr Mantri called for public awareness and education initiatives, stressing that prevention starts with informed consumers. She also announced that ISB, in collaboration with the CBI and Interpol, will host a Digital Piracy Summit on July 9–10.
Anurag Kashyap, Head of Anti-Piracy Operations at DAZN, spoke about enforcement in the sports streaming sector. “Our approach revolves around the three Ds: detection, disruption, and deterrence. We initiate enforcement even before the event goes live,” he explained. He highlighted the use of invisible watermarking as a key tool in tracing leaks.
Legal expert Anil Lale, Head – Legal at Jio Hotstar, stressed the necessity of strong enforcement. “The most effective deterrent is prosecuting the pirates. Law enforcement must identify leak sources instead of constantly playing catch-up,” he asserted. He emphasized that prevention must be proactive, not reactive.
Praveen Anand of Anand and Anand Associates added that the solution lies in both technological innovation and judicial reform. “AI, blockchain, and watermarking are indispensable tools. We must also curb camcording through physical measures like metal detectors. Timely legal action is essential to build deterrence,” he concluded.