Vietnam anti-piracy success for ACE
September 1, 2022
By Colin Mann
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a coalition dedicated to protecting the dynamic legal ecosystem and reducing digital piracy, has shut down the illegal German-language streaming sites HDFilme and xCine, which were operated out of Vietnam.
HDFilme, xCine, and seven associated domains that had been operating since 2019, provided illegal access to more than 23,000 movies and an estimated 100,000 television series episodes; they attracted over 16 million visitors monthly. All domains associated with HDFilme and xCine have been transferred to ACE and are redirecting to the Watch Legally section on the ACE website.
“Our focus on Vietnam is a key part of our ongoing efforts to reduce piracy in the Asia Pacific region and throughout the global creative ecosystem,” said Jan van Voorn, Executive Vice President and Chief of Global Content Protection for the Motion Picture Association and Head of ACE.
ACE identified the operator via legal actions taken in Europe and cross-regional investigative work. This operation is the first of its kind in Vietnam, which is becoming a major exporter of pirated content and a country of origin for many of the world’s largest piracy sites.
“ACE will continue to target the operators of Vietnam-based piracy services who put consumers at risk of egregious malware, undermine investment into the country, reduce tax contributions to government, and stifle creativity,” confirmed van Voorn.