Rebranded Australian media body launches extensive anti-piracy campaign

Key anti-piracy group IP Awareness Foundation has rebranded as Creative Content Australia, indicating a renewed focus on educating the Australian public.

Creative Content Australia has launched with three new appointments from the screen industry. The biggest heavy-hitter in terms of anti-piracy activism is Village Roadshow co-chief Graham Burke, who has joined the fold as Chairman.

Burke told Forbesthe group’s focus will be on education: “Some people have not considered that piracy is just plain wrongbut when they understand it is not a victimless crime and other people will lose their jobs, they stop.”

Also joining the CCA Board is Damian Keogh, CEO of the Hoyts Group and Jo Bladen, GM, studios, for Walt Disney Australia & New Zealand.

Burke is known for his heavy-handed approach to piracy in Australia. In an interview with SBS last August he said he would sue individuals who infringed copyright.

“[They have] been warned, notices issued, that they have been doing the wrong thing. Yes we will sue people,” Burke said last year.

Burke’s previous position on piracy doesn’t seem to be the focus for Creative Content Australia however. The group won’t be targeting ‘hardcore’ pirates; instead it will focus on those less aware of the contributions they’re making to Australia’s criminal underbelly.

Beginning this week, Creative Content Australia will expand its distribution of educational resources about copyright to schools and universities nationally.

Creative Content Australia executive director, Lori Flekser, said in a statement: “The aim of our organisation has always been to contribute to a more informed debate about legal access to film and television content,” she said.“Graham, Damian and Jo, along with our existing board members, are passionate about promoting the value of copyright.

“They are invaluable advocates of Creative Content Australia’s research, educational resources and consumer awareness campaigns.

The IP Awareness Foundation has made grand contributions to the state of piracy in Australia. It is behind anOctober-released report which found that self-confessed pirates in Australia aged 18-64 dropped 4% to 25% last year – the first decrease since the beginning of the piracy boom.

In September the Australian Government passed its crackdown on copyright infringement when it allowed content owners a day in court to convince internet service providers (ISPs) into blocking piracy sites.

The Government had previously allowed a Draft Code to be developed for an automated system whichwould require ISPsto send warning lettersto subscribers suspected of illegal downloading. The ’three strikes’ code draft was sent to Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) late last year and in February Graham Burke told CNETit had been ditched altogether.

“We reached the conclusion after having an independent audit firm evaluate the cost of sending out the notices, and we concluded that it was too much of an imposition to ask the ISPs, and also from our own point of view, the amount it would cost,” he said. “So we decided not to push it forward.”

There’s still a lot of work to do; last October, Australians visited the most popular 18 piracy domains more than 16 million times. That same month piracy sites like The Pirate Bay and Torrentz.Eu received 5.2 million visits from Australian audiences. Australia was also the worst culprit in the world for downloadingGame Of Throneslast year.