ACE boost for Korea IP protection
July 3, 2023
By Colin Mann
The Korea Copyright Protection Agency (KCOPA) and the Motion Picture Association (MPA), which established the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), its content protection arm and anti-piracy coalition, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in a joint effort to fight digital piracy in the Asia Pacific region and other parts of the world.
Under the agreement, KCOPA and ACE, which comprises a diverse collection of rightsholders across the globe, will work together to enhance awareness of intellectual property rights and provide updated and actionable information on digital piracy. They also will convene a global meeting each year to exchange information on piracy trends, challenges and solutions. In addition, they will co-host joint training and awareness events with a focus on the Asia Pacific region with the potential to include other jurisdictions.
“Today’s MOU serves as a symbolic opportunity for KCOPA and MPA/ACE to cooperate on expanding the network to deter and combat copyright infringement of entertainment content, not only in the Asia-Pacific region but also around the world,” declared Jung Youl Park, President of KCOPA. “The two organisations plan to continue cooperating on various copyright protection issues to increase synergies in copyright enforcement through the use of mutual networks, and to support the continued growth of the creative content industry.”
“Online piracy in the APAC region continues to threaten jobs, puts consumers at risk of malware, undermines investment, reduces tax contributions to governments, and stifles creativity,” added Jan van Voorn, the Motion Picture Association’s Executive Vice President of Global Content Protection and Head of ACE. “By signing this MOU with KCOPA we are signalling a new era for content protection in Korea and the Asia Pacific region,” I am confident that together, KCOPA and ACE will make significant strides in preventing and reducing the distribution of pirated content on a regional and worldwide basis, ensuring that consumers can enjoy their favourite television series and films safely and legally.”
The MOU was signed by Jung Youl Park, president of KCOPA, and Karyn Temple, Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the MPA, which established ACE in 2017. It takes effect immediately.