A new YouGov survey has found a 64-per-cent decrease in Malaysian consumers accessing pirated websites over the past 12 months.
The survey, commissioned by the Asia Video Industry Association’s Coalition Against Piracy, found that 22 per cent of online consumers are using the websites or torrent sites to access pirated content.
The coalition has been targeting and blocking live sports websites. Live sports, particularly broadcasts of European football leagues have long been a target for pirates who do not invest in the game, while legitimate broadcasters pay substantial sums to legally air the content.
Melcior Soler, global audiovisual director at LaLiga said: “This substantial reduction in online piracy in Malaysia is a sign of the success of the actions undertaken by the MDTCA [the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs]…Piracy only benefits the criminal organisations who operate the websites and illicit applications and harms society as a whole, especially those who work every day to generate content and entertainment for everyone. LaLiga will continue to fight against the problem of online piracy.”
Earlier this month the English Premier League launched its first anti-piracy campaign in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia.
The Premier League has already engaged in wide-ranging anti-piracy efforts in Asia, including blocking action against illegal apps and websites in Singapore and Indonesia and blocking illegal websites in Malaysia.
The continual site blocking has had an impact on Malaysian consumers viewing habits who are now more likely to access legal content services. A total of 20 per cent of respondents said they were aware of the government blocking piracy websites and illicit application domains, and have since subscribed to a paid streaming service.
When asked about the negative consequences of online piracy, consumers placed funding crime groups, loss of jobs in the creative industry and malware risks as their top three concerns.