Hong Kong’s Viu and Thailand’s True Visions Join ACE to Protect Legal Creative Ecosystem
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the world’s leading coalition dedicated to protecting the dynamic legal ecosystem for creative content, is expanding its global reach and impact with the addition of the first two Asia-based media and entertainment companies operating in key Asian markets.
Hong Kong-based video streaming platform Viu and Thailand’s leading cable satellite TV provider True Visions are the latest members to join the growing coalition dedicated to combating piracy around the world.
“The addition of Viu and True Visions is the beginning of an expansion to include local media companies from key markets around the world. By growing ACE’s footprint throughout the APAC region, we are building new relationships with local law enforcement authorities and other key partners in our ongoing effort to shut down piracy operations around the world,” said Charles Rivkin, Chairman of ACE and the Motion Picture Association. “These new members further strengthen ACE’s global reach and collective approach to disrupting a piracy ecosystem that harms the creative economy worldwide.”
Now in its fifth year, ACE has consistently grown its global membership base; the coalition is now comprised of 39 members, including Viu and True Visions, with more to join in the coming weeks. Viu and True Visions mark the first Asia-based companies to join the coalition.
“Online piracy poses a grave threat to Thailand’s economy, creative economy, and to our reputation abroad,” said Sompan Charumilinda, Executive Vice Chairman of True Visions. “We want to support Thai people, as they compete in a globalized marketplace, by protecting their work with strong intellectual property rights stewardship. We are pleased to be the first member of ACE based in Thailand and look forward to helping drive important actions in this market that will improve the piracy landscape and pave the way for a brighter future.”
“As one of the leading video-on-demand services offering premium Asian content, we recognize the need to address the piracy that is widespread in our markets. We are committed to ensuring that consumers move from illegal piracy sites to legal options like Viu by providing an unparalleled viewer experience and investing in the creative ecosystem. By being a part of ACE, we hope to make an even more positive impact on our consumers and the industry at large,” said Janice Lee, CEO of Viu. “This is why Viu has decided to join ACE and work to stop the disruption of the world’s legal film, TV and streaming industry.”
ACE is supported by a network of experts operating in high-tech investigations and law enforcement, in partnership with local governments and law enforcement agencies around the world and international organizations like Interpol and Europol, to take on the full supply chain of pirated content.
ACE’s antipiracy campaign in North America alone has reduced the number of identified illegal streaming subscription websites in North America from 1,400 in 2019 to slightly more than 200 today. Such successes are being replicated in other continents.
Representing 80% of all piracy today, piracy of digitally streamed content puts innovation, creativity and investment at risk and threatens creators, innovators and consumers alike. According to the Global Innovation Policy Center, piracy amounts to between $29.2 billion and $71 billion annually in lost domestic revenues. Additionally, consumers are harmed when accessing illegal content – one-third of pirate sites target consumers with malware that can lead to a range of problems, including identify theft and financial loss, according to a report by Digital Citizens Alliance.
ACE was founded in 2017 by the MPA and many of the world’s leading media and technology companies to combine efforts and resources to jointly combat the threat and prevalence of online piracy. ACE’s governing board is comprised of the MPA’s six members – Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros. – as well as Amazon and Apple TV+. Since its creation, ACE has successfully led or participated in thousands of global enforcement actions, averaging several dozens of actions a month against illegal streaming services and sources of unauthorized content and their operators.
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About The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) is a global coalition dedicated to protecting the dynamic legal market and reducing online piracy. Drawing upon the global content protection resources of the Motion Picture Association, ACE’s members are: Amazon, Apple TV+, AMC Networks, BBC Worldwide, Bell Canada and Bell Media, Canal+ Group, CBS Corporation, Channel 5, Constantin Film, Discovery, Foxtel, Grupo Globo, HBO, Hulu, Lionsgate, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Millennium Media, NBC Universal, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, SF Studios, Sky, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Star India, Studio Babelsberg, STX Entertainment, Telefe, Telemundo, Televisa, Univision Communications Inc., Village Roadshow, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Charles Rivkin is Chairman of ACE and the Motion Picture Association.
About Viu
Viu, PCCW’s leading pan-regional over-the-top (“OTT”) video streaming service, is available in 16 markets across Asia, the Middle East and South Africa, with 58.6 million monthly active users (MAU) as at December 2021. The Viu service is available to consumers through a dual model with an ad-supported free tier and a premium subscription tier. Viu offers fresh premium TV series, movies and lifestyle programmes in local and regional languages and subtitles in different genres from top content providers, as well as premium original productions under the brand “Viu Original”. Viu also offers users streaming and download features, and localised user interfaces across a myriad of connected devices. The service can be accessed via the Viu app (available for free on App Store and Google Play) on connected devices, e.g. smartphones and tablets, select smart TVs, as well as on the web by logging into www.viu.com.
In addition, Viu International Limited, through its subsidiary Moov (Hong Kong) Limited, also operates MOOV, a popular digital music streaming and live music concerts service in Hong Kong.
About True Visions
True Group is Thailand’s fully-integrated telecommunications and digital services provider offering mobile, broadband internet, television, content as well as digital platform and offerings. The Group’s key competitive strengths are its convergence propositions which combine a variety of quality products and an unparalleled selection of communication services utilizing advanced technologies, innovative solutions and a comprehensive range of digital media and content. Its vision is to be the leading digital infrastructure provider that fully connects people, organizations, economies, and societies together to create sustainable value for life.
True Group’s core businesses are: TrueMove H, which operates cellular business with excellent network quality and coverage through a comprehensive spectrum portfolio. TrueMove H delivers optimum mobile experience on all platforms with networks covering the Thai population nationwide moving ahead to provide 5G services for both consumer and corporate segments as well as Narrowband IoT (“NB-IoT”) network covering all administrative districts in all 77 provinces. TrueOnline, the leading broadband internet provider through high-quality fiber network encompassing over 15 million homes nationwide. Its fiber broadband propositions with downloading speeds of as high as 1,000 Mbps or 1 Gbps. TrueVisions, the pay TV, digital TV and content provider offering a wide range of quality international and local content. True Digital Group offers a portfolio of digital services for consumer, merchant, and enterprise markets. Key businesses include Digital Media, O2O and Privilege, Data Analytics, IoT and Digital Solutions, as well as True Digital Academy. The Group’s flagship digital media platform “TrueID” has received a positive response from the market and became the most downloaded application in its category.
True Group seeks to escalate Thailand’s telecommunications infrastructure and digital services to be at the forefront of the international community with concentrated efforts in providing superior products and services to consumers while increasing opportunities and channels for Thai people throughout the country to easily access news and information, and to bridge the digital divide. The Group’s ongoing commitment is to provide high-quality offerings to consumers by focusing on developing wired and wireless networks utilizing advanced technologies, service excellence, innovation, digital offerings and solutions, quality international and local content and an ideal combination of its various products through convergence propositions. These fulfill customers’ needs and enhance their engagement, well positioning True Group to accelerate growth alongside consumers’ growing demands for telecommunications and digital services.
True Group strives to develop its business towards sustainability by conducting its business transparently and engaging with all stakeholder groups accordingly, demonstrating economic, social, and environmental responsibility at the national, community and corporate levels continuously. True Group will continue to raise the bar on corporate sustainability to further create shared value for its stakeholders.
Media Contacts:
ACE
Kristen Tarnol
Email: Kristen_Tarnol@motionpictures.org
Viu
Jonathan Leow
Regional PR & Communications Lead, Asia, Viu
Email：jonathan.leow@vuclip.com
True Visions
Nondhanada Schulz
Email: Nondhanada_Sch@truecorp.co.th
Matthew Martin
Email: Matthew_Mar@truecorp.co.th
