Latest news with #AllianceforCreativityandEntertainment
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
ACE Doubles Down on Anti-piracy in Asia-Pacific, Adding Broadcasting Powerhouse Astro as its Newest Member
Malaysia's Leading Content and Entertainment Company Becomes Third Asia-Pacific Region Company to Join ACE in Recent Months LOS ANGELES, Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the world's leading antipiracy coalition, today welcomed Malaysia-based Astro as its newest member. Astro, a leading content and entertainment broadcasting company in Malaysia, was established in 1996 and has since built a comprehensive entertainment ecosystem that includes both pay and free-to-access TV services and OTT platforms. Currently, Astro reaches approximately 64% of Malaysian households. Astro holds an extensive library of more than 100,000 VOD titles, ranging from exclusive Astro Originals to major live sports events, while also offering over 147 live channels featuring both local and international brands. "Bringing Astro into ACE reaffirms our commitment to detect, deter, and dismantle criminal piracy throughout the Asia Pacific region and around the world," said Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE. "Astro is already a key player and partner in the fight against piracy – educating Malaysian consumers, advancing landmark legal precedents, and fostering effective collaboration between industry and government. Now, Astro's work will grow in Malaysia and ACE's leadership will expand across the globe, delivering even greater safety and security to content creators and consumers everywhere." Astro is part of the Malaysian Cybercrime Task Force, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, where it leads efforts on tackling digital piracy within the task force. "For us at Astro, fighting piracy is not just to safeguard our bottom line but rather to protect the value of creativity and the people who bring stories to life," said Euan Smith, Group CEO of Astro. "We have seen how damaging piracy can be, which is why we have taken real action: over 26,000 listings of illegal streaming devices and services removed, 327 Telegram piracy groups with 12 million subscribers shut down, and significant legal wins to set strong precedents. By joining ACE, we're stepping into a larger arena. This collaboration gives us the strength of a global alliance while ensuring local voices and creators are safeguarded. We want to ensure audiences have a better, safer, and more rewarding way to enjoy the content they love." Astro's addition to the alliance marks the third APAC region member to join ACE since the start of the year, underscoring the region's importance to the global coalition. The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) is the world's leading coalition dedicated to protecting the legal creative market and reducing digital piracy. Driven by a comprehensive approach to addressing piracy through criminal referrals, civil litigation, and cease-and-desist operations, ACE has achieved many successful global enforcement actions against illegal streaming services and unauthorized content sources and their operators. Drawing upon the collective expertise and resources of more than 50 media and entertainment companies around the world—including sports channels and associations—and reinforced by the Motion Picture Association's content protection operations, ACE protects the creativity and innovation that drives the global growth of core copyright and entertainment industries. The current governing board members for ACE are Amazon, Apple TV+, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE. About Astro Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad (Astro) is Malaysia's leading content and entertainment company, serving 5.2 million homes or 64% of Malaysian TV households, 8,900 enterprises, 16.3 million weekly listeners across FM radio and online, and 13.5 million visitors to our digital brands every month. We serve Malaysians with 3 distinct services – Astro Pay-TV, NJOI Prepaid and sooka, our own OTT for the millennials; and Astro Fibre, our own broadband service, offers greater value with its content-broadband bundles. More than a million homes are already streaming the best of home entertainment via our Hybrid 4K UHD Ultra Box and HD Ulti Box, which can be self-installed and run on both satellite and broadband. Today, our customers enjoy streaming our local signatures, Astro Originals, live sports and the best global shows from Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, HBO GO, iQIYI, TVBAnywhere+, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, BBC Player, Viu, ZEE5, WeTV, Qalbox by MuslimPro, and our own TV companion app Astro GO. Astro Radio, home to the country's highest-rated radio brands across all key languages, and our digital brands including AWANI, SYOK, Gempak, Xuan and Astro Ulagam, connect Malaysians to content and stories that matter.
Korea Herald
23-07-2025
- Korea Herald
Study Finds Consumers up to 65 Times More Likely to be Infected with Malware When Using Piracy Sites
ACE-Commissioned Report Analyzes Exposure to Malware, Phishing, and Other Cyber Harms Associated with Piracy Use in Southeast Asia SINGAPORE, July 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study released today and commissioned by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the world's leading antipiracy coalition, highlights the increased cyber risk for those in Southeast Asia who engage with piracy sites and services. Among other findings, the study revealed that in the worst case, local consumers are up to 65 times more likely to be infected with malware when using piracy sites as compared to legitimate websites. The report, titled "Consumer Risk from Piracy in Southeast Asia," explored activity in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Study author Dr. Paul Watters is a cybersecurity researcher and thought leader at Cyberstronomy Pty Ltd., Honorary Professor of Security Studies and Criminology at Macquarie University, and Professor of Information Systems at Holmesglen Institute. "As this study makes clear, the risks and ramifications substantially increase for those in Southeast Asia who visit piracy sites," said Watters. "Though efforts to curb digital piracy are ongoing, these stark results require additional action – such as smart tools and proven measures – to mitigate the relevant digital threats in each country." Overall, the study concluded that piracy sites—including streaming piracy platforms, P2P networks, IPTV services, scam portals, anime piracy sites, and manga repositories—carry a cyber threat risk more than 22 times higher than that of mainstream legitimate sites. "The research findings reaffirm the extensive harms piracy networks inflict upon consumers and the economy in Southeast Asia," said Larissa Knapp, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer for the Motion Picture Association. "We applaud Dr. Watters and his team for their work in revealing the dangers of using these illicit sources, and we look forward to further collaboration with law enforcement throughout the region to detect these bad actors, deter future misdeeds, and dismantle unlawful operations that endanger a thriving creative marketplace." Other key findings from the study include: The full study is available here. About The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) is the world's leading coalition dedicated to protecting the legal creative market and reducing digital piracy. Driven by a comprehensive approach to addressing piracy through criminal referrals, civil litigation, and cease-and-desist operations, ACE has achieved many successful global enforcement actions against illegal streaming services and unauthorized content sources and their operators. Drawing upon the collective expertise and resources of more than 50 media and entertainment companies around the world—including sports channels and associations—and reinforced by the Motion Picture Association's content protection operations, ACE protects the creativity and innovation that drives the global growth of core copyright and entertainment industries. The current governing board members for ACE are Amazon, Apple TV+, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WEBTOON Entertainment's NAVER WEBTOON Joins ACE to Expand Global Battle Against Digital Piracy
NAVER WEBTOON is ACE's First Korean-founded and First Webcomic Company Member LOS ANGELES, March 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the world's leading anti-piracy coalition, today welcomed NAVER WEBTOON as its newest member. NAVER WEBTOON is part of WEBTOON Entertainment Inc., a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world's largest storytelling platforms. NAVER WEBTOON is the first and only webcomic and webnovel company to join ACE, and the first Korean-originated company to join ACE. NAVER WEBTOON's parent company, WEBTOON Entertainment, is headquartered in Los Angeles and listed on the Nasdaq. WEBTOON Entertainment and webcomics have exploded in popularity around the world, creating a new generation of comic creator superstars. The company's content has also become an important source of IP for the global entertainment industry, with its two studios – Wattpad WEBTOON Studios in the United States and Korea's Studio N – producing a string of hits on global streamers, including Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and Crunchyroll, along with local projects from Korea and across the Asian market. "Bringing Naver Webtoon into ACE's ranks builds upon our expansion in the Asia Pacific, our growth worldwide, and our mission to protect intellectual property in every form," said Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE. "From Korea to California and points in between, our coalition is always on the lookout for new footholds in key markets – to build ties with local law enforcement and strengthen our work to detect, deter, and dismantle a piracy ecosystem that steals content, endangers consumers, and threatens the creative economy." "Webcomics have transformed entertainment and fandom around the world, enabling storytellers everywhere to share their voice," said WEBTOON Entertainment Founder & CEO Junkoo Kim. "As the first webcomic company to join ACE, we're proud to continue to protect creators and raise global awareness of the seriousness of illegal distribution. Working alongside ACE and industry partners, we look forward to finding opportunities for joint responses and working together to tackle illegal content distribution." About The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) is the world's leading coalition dedicated to protecting the legal creative market and reducing digital piracy. Driven by a comprehensive approach to addressing piracy through criminal referrals, civil litigation, and cease-and-desist operations, ACE has achieved many successful global enforcement actions against illegal streaming services and unauthorized content sources and their operators. Drawing upon the collective expertise and resources of more than 50 media and entertainment companies around the world—including sports channels and associations—and reinforced by the Motion Picture Association's content protection operations, ACE protects the creativity and innovation that drives the global growth of core copyright and entertainment industries. The current governing board members for ACE are Amazon, Apple TV+, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE. About WEBTOON Entertainment WEBTOON Entertainment is a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world's largest storytelling platforms. As the global leader and pioneer of the mobile webcomic format, WEBTOON Entertainment has transformed comics and visual storytelling for fans and creators. With its CANVAS UGC platform empowering anyone to become a creator, and a growing roster of superstar WEBTOON Originals creators and series, WEBTOON Entertainment's passionate fandoms are the new face of pop culture. WEBTOON Entertainment adaptations are available on Netflix, Prime Video, Crunchyroll, and other screens around the world, and the company's content partners include Discord, HYBE and DC Comics, among many others. With approximately 160 million monthly active users, WEBTOON Entertainment's IP & Creator Ecosystem of aligned brands and platforms include WEBTOON, Wattpad--the world's leading webnovel platform--Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, Studio N, Studio LICO, WEBTOON Unscrolled, LINE MANGA, and eBookJapan, among others. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) Sign in to access your portfolio
