WAVES 2025 Panel Calls for Unified Front Against Digital Piracy

Mumbai: A high-level panel discussion on “Piracy: Safeguarding Content through Technology” at WAVES 2025 brought global media, legal, and cybersecurity leaders together to confront one of the most urgent threats facing the digital content economy. The session, moderated by Neil Gane, Vice President and Head of Asia Pacific at IP House, underscored that piracy is no longer a fringe issue, but a mainstream challenge requiring strategic and coordinated responses.

Vivek Couto, Managing and Executive Director of Media Partners Asia, outlined the staggering financial toll of unchecked piracy. He warned that online piracy could cost the industry over 10% in lost revenue between 2025 and 2029. However, he added that with effective enforcement, the industry could see a 25% increase in legal video service users, generating a US$ 0.5 billion surge in content investment and raising the sector’s total value to US$ 3.8 billion by 2029. He urged policymakers and businesses alike to reframe the piracy narrative — from merely protection to realizing untapped potential in India’s rapidly growing digital video ecosystem.

Dr. Shruti Mantri, Associate Director at the ISB Institute of Data Science, brought attention to the cybersecurity dimension of piracy. She explained that pirated content platforms often distribute malware, including trojans, spyware, and ransomware, posing serious risks to users—particularly those aged 18 to 24. She advocated for public awareness campaigns and digital literacy programs as frontline tools against piracy. Dr. Mantri also announced a forthcoming Digital Piracy Summit, jointly hosted by ISB, the CBI, and Interpol, scheduled for July 9–10.

From the perspective of sports broadcasting, Anurag Kashyap, Head of Anti-Piracy Operations at DAZN, spoke about the platform’s proactive “three Ds” strategy: detection, disruption, and deterrence. He emphasized that enforcement begins even before live events start and credited invisible watermarking as a critical technology for identifying and tracking content leaks.

Legal measures also featured prominently in the discussion. Anil Lale, Head of Legal at Jio Hotstar, emphasized that strong, decisive legal action is key to deterrence. “The biggest deterrent is prosecuting the pirates,” he stated. “Law enforcement must move beyond chasing leaks and instead focus on identifying their origins before they spread.”

Noted intellectual property lawyer Praveen Anand of Anand and Anand Associates stressed the dual importance of technological innovation and judicial reform. While tools like AI, blockchain, and watermarking are crucial to detection and enforcement, he called for practical measures like using metal detectors in theaters to prevent illegal camcording. He also underscored the importance of timely legal action to establish credible deterrence.

The panel reached consensus on the need for a collaborative framework involving technology, law, enforcement agencies, and public education to safeguard the future of digital content. As piracy continues to evolve in scale and sophistication, events like WAVES 2025 are playing a critical role in shaping actionable and unified strategies for the media and entertainment industry.