Internet piracy still rampant in Greece
Although Greece has one of the most effective response models, it continues to record high rates of internet piracy.
According to the latest report of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), titled “Online Copyright Infringement in the European Union: Films, Music, Publications, Software and TV, 2017-2022,” which was made public on Tuesday, piracy of live events, such as the streaming of sports matches, is on the rise across Europe.
Greece has the highest rate, just behind Cyprus and Portugal.
Tellingly, Daphne Papadopoulou, the Hellenic Copyright Agency’s (OPI) deputy director, told Kathimerini that when access to sites illegally broadcasting sports matches began to be cut off around 18 months ago, irate people sent the agency countless abusive mails.
“From young fans to retired fans who didn’t even know these sites were illegal!” she said. This explains to a certain extent why, although Greece is considered to have one of the best models for dealing with piracy, it continues to record a piracy rate of live sports events much higher than the European average.
“Piracy in general is difficult to tackle,” said Papadopoulou. “It is a lengthy process, it is difficult to know who to go after, judicial pursuit is often ineffective. That’s why an administrative authority has been chosen to act more quickly,” she said, referring to the Commission for the Notification of Online Infringement of Intellectual Property Rights and Related Rights.
Its work is assisted by OPI, which, with the help of the providers, immediately issues decisions and orders the blocking of access to domain names with pirated content.
Although there are reportedly pressures to go after consumers of pirated content as well, as this would be more effective, the authority has chosen to hunt down the source of the content instead.
