ITV

Tag: Italian

  • Cracking down on Indian TV & streaming piracy, Italian style

    Cracking down on Indian TV & streaming piracy, Italian style

    MUMAI: Piracy has been the bane of both broadcasters and streamers for some time now. Yes, both have anti-piracy crews who spend crores of rupees behind sophisticated tools which crawl the world wide web round the clock to track illegal streams and bring down the rogue sites with the help of ISPs. 

    Even the Indian government has stepped in at times with the department of telecommunications (DoT)  directing  ISPs to take down the crooks, but more often than not the takedowns relate to what the mandarins fear could be a threat to national security,  religious sentiment, is defamatory or points fingers at the powers-that-be wrongly. 

    Could it learn from what the Italian government is doing to protect broadcasters and streamers and bring down piracy? The authorities there are not using Mafia-like tactics; they are simply putting in place stricter regulation, policing and implementation. 

    Italy has more than five million or more citizens accessing scoundrel sites costing the pay TV ecosystem (more specifically sports) – Dazn, Sky Italia, Prime Video and Mediaset Infinity –  more than €400 million  annually.

    To get an insight into what’s happening in Italy a little bit of background in sequential order would help. In August 2023, the Italian government passed a strict anti-piracy law which brought in lay viewers  into the fold of those who would be penalised with fines going up  as high as  €5,000.  ISPs would be slapped with administrative fines of 20 million lira to 500 million lira, or in today’s currency – €10,00  to €265,000.  Those involved in the supply/distribution of infringing IPTV streams would  face up to three years in prison and a fine of up to €15,000.

    Then on 31 January 2024, Lega Serie A (the governing body of football  in Italy)  launched an anti-piracy platform Piracy Shield which is operated by the nation’s Communications Regulatory Authority, AgCom. Its purpose was to identify and penalise those who are watching –  mind you, those who are WATCHING –  pirated content, and even those who are streaming it. Piracy Shield was designed to block illegal streaming within 30 minutes of detection by targeting both IP addresses and domain names.

    In March 2024, Italians  received reminders that fines were on the way, even for those who download illegal sports streaming apps from legal marketplaces operated by Google, Apple, and Amazon.

    Reports are that the measures seem to be working so far. The multi-pronged exercise has succeeded in blocking over 1,000 online domains and more than 500 IP addresses associated with illegal streaming activities since the start of the new football season in Italy. However, no information was available about individuals being penalised for viewing pirated content at the time of writing.

    Recently, AgCom announced the extension of  Piracy Shield to cover cultural events, music and TV series. Additionally, it signed a memorandum of understanding between the prosecutor’s office and Guardia di Finanza (financial police) under which automatic information exchange between the parties will enable subscribers of pirate IPTV services to be automatically fined. Yes – AUTOMATICALLY fined.  

    Secondly, an amendment to the online copyright enforcement regulation approved by the Italian senate proposes prison sentences of up to a year for individuals who do not report – yes, those who DO NOT REPORT – piracy or related offences. The amendments also target service providers such as VPN and DNS companies. This includes VPN and DNS service providers such as Google and Cloudflare. These providers will face stricter obligations to cooperate with authorities in stopping the distribution of pirated material.

    The amendments and changes have  been welcomed by the Italian pay TV industry and streamers. The reason: under the new dispensation, authorities will soon have access to names, surnames, IP addresses, and other identifying details of those accessing criminal websites and hence penalties will be automatically imposed.

    We will have to wait and see how effective these measures will prove to be and how much they will deter the pirates in Italy.

    In the meantime, can the Indian pay TV ecosystem, DoT, and the government take a closer look at the Italian model of curbing piracy?  Can the cash-rich Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and industry come together to create an industry wide platform to curb sports broadcast leakages? Especially, since it is the main sports body that has been raking in billions of dollars by licensing the TV rights. Can the penalties for resorting to piracy be made tougher?

    A study in 2023 pointed out that Indian broadcasters and streamers are losing close to $3 billion (Rs 25,000 crore) annually on signal leakages related to sports and TV series telecasts through illegal cable TV and internet distribution. Indian anti-piracy laws also only finger and penalise the pirates – and that too infrequently as policing, and implementation is weak. Hence, piracy continues to be to be widespread and almost everyone in the ecosystem takes it lightly.  

    Harsher measures like making viewers and the likes of Google and Apple culpable through automatic  penalties could help alleviate the problem. The authorities will not have to penalise too many violators; just making a loud noise about a few could prove a deterrent to most.

    The times, they are a-changing. Can the anti-piracy efforts in India gain in strength and momentum through collaboration between the stakeholders? 
     

  • Santa Claus Is Coming to Town!

    Santa Claus Is Coming to Town!

    MUMBAI: Christmas traditions are practiced in many different ways. For some, it’s reading Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” or Clement Clarke Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas”. While others enjoy watching “The Nutcracker” ballet or “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” on television.

    Yet, others maybe prefer tracking Santa’s Christmas Eve journey, compliments of the North American Aerospace Command, Verizon and the rest of the NORAD Tracks Santa team. For the 11th consecutive year Verizon employees will again join more than 1,250 Christmas Eve volunteers – including military personnel, their families and friends, and other corporate contributors – in answering calls and e-mails to the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline and operations center.

    To enable children around the world track Santa’s progress, Verizon is providing the toll-free hotline – 1877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723). The hotline will be in operation from 4:00 a.m. on Dec. 24 until 3:00 a.m. (Mountain Standard Time) on Dec. 25. (Callers outside North America can reach the hotline by dialing the local Colorado Springs number at 719-556-5211 using the applicable country code. International calling charges may apply.)

    In addition, Verizon is providing call-handling technology, as well as its 4G LTE wireless network to help volunteers respond to e-mails and track Santa’s progress online.

    Beginning at 12:01 a.m. MST on Dec. 24, children can visit the NORAD Tracks Santa website to see real-time information, including radar maps and streaming “SantaCam” video. Information will be available in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, and Chinese.

    Also starting on Dec. 24, children can send an e-mail to noradtrackssanta@outlook.com to find Santa’s whereabouts. For children (and adults) who are more tech savvy, a free downloadable NORAD Tracks Santa mobile app (iOS, Android, Windows) is available. Santa can also be tracked via Facebook, Google+, Twitter (@noradsanta) and YouTube.

    “The holiday season is a powerful reminder of the importance of giving back,” said Michael Maiorana, senior vice president of public sector markets, Verizon Enterprise Solutions. “For over a decade, Verizon has been a part of the NORAD Tracks Santa team, donating a range of services that brings Santa alive to children around the globe by enabling them to speak with Santa’s helpers and track his travels online and via their mobile devices. This is a part of our Christmas tradition.”

    In 2012, more than 114,000 phone calls and nearly 7,000 e-mails were received and answered. The NORAD Tracks Santa website had over 22.3 million unique visitors from 235 countries and territories during December 2012.

    NORAD, the binational U.S.-Canadian military organization responsible for defending the aerospace of both countries, has tracked Santa for the past 58 years. The NORAD Tracks Santa tradition began in 1955 after a misprinted advertisement directed children to call the Continental Air Defense Command (NORAD’s predecessor organization) instead of a retailer’s special Santa hotline.

  • India charms world panorama directors at IFFI

    India charms world panorama directors at IFFI

    MUMBAI: India, as the biggest film industry in the world, has charmed Italian and Mexican directors whose films are a part of the World Panorama at the 44th International Film Festival of India.

     

    Antonia Piazza and Fabio Grassadonia, joint directors of a mafia thriller Salvo and Eduardo Rossoff who directed a Belgian film Let me Survive were addressing a press conference at the media centre on 22 November.   

     

    “I am thrilled to be here. India is the biggest movie making country in the world. It is a humbling experience being here,” Rossoff said.

     

    Piazza said that this was his first time in India and that his Italian-French production, which cost one million Euros, had already picked up two awards at the Cannes film festival.

     

    “Our films are being distributed in 20 countries,” Piazza said. His film is set in Sicily and is about a blind girl and a protagonist who is a mafia boss.

     

    Piazza was thankful to the efforts taken by new and upcoming actress Sara Serraiocco, who plays the blind girl in the film.

     

    “We blindfolded her for days. Even during the rehearsals she was blindfolded so she could learn to find her way. During the actual shooting we used opaque contact lenses,” Piazzo said.

     

    Eduardo Rossoff, a Mexican who has made a Belgian film which his being screened at the festival, said that India resembled Mexico a lot.

     

    “There is the same chaos, love for spicy food and love for the people which Mexico has,” Rossoff said, adding that it made him feel like staying on here forever.

    “Its phenomenal being here because Mexico is 30 hours by flight and that there is interest here in my movie,” Rossoff said.

     

    Fabio Grassadonina, who was also present on the occasion, said that this was his first film as director.

  • Sound Awake edition II set to rock December

    Sound Awake edition II set to rock December

    MUMBAI: DNA Networks, the pioneers in mega live entertainment in India are back with the Second Edition of their well-received Electronic Music Property- SOUND AWAKE.

    The festival will be held in Bangalore, Karnataka on December 1, 2013 and will see many spectacular live performances, including the likes of American Electro House DJ/ Producer Steve Aoki – one of the major headliners at the festival. Italian Electro-House & Dance –Punk Producer Congo Rock (best known for his hit single Babylon) and Jacob Plant

    SOUND AWAKE, brings forth a single platform for performances by top national and international artistes and seeks to redefine EDM and change the perception of Electronic Dance Music in India.

    Thoughts on Sound Awake, December 2013- Mr. T. Venkat Vardhan, MD, DNA Entertainment Networks on Sound Awake, Edition II:”In order to enhance the festival experience this time around, we have a headline act in Steve Aoki, who is one of the top DJs. He is also known for the signature performance & interaction with the live audience. We will once again have the Flea Markets from Goa which was a great success the first time for the fans.”

    The influence of this genre of music on the audience has been tremendous over the last decade. DNA aspires to contribute to it and widen the reach of this thriving genre in India. The festival will feature 4 stages and is being held in collaboration with dance record label giants Ministry of Sound and HedKandi. In tandem with the world’s top dance record labels, DNA with SOUND AWAKE is set to bring the best of the world’s EDM to India.

    The festival will be held at Supernova Arena & Convention Centre, Yelahanka, Airport Road, Bangalore-560064- the newest addition to other live entertainment areas in Bangalore.

    NOTES TO THE EDITOR

    Steve Aoki – Steve Aoki, the DJ/Producer, among many traits also founded his own label, Dim Mak Records, in 1996. The label has released music by other electro house artists such as Datsik, Infected Mushroom, Dada Life, Zeds Dead, his own collaboration with Tiesto, MSTRKRFT, The Bloody Beetroots, Felix Cartal and Mustard Pimp, as well as by Bloc Party, Battles, The Kills, The Gossip, Klaxons, Scanners, Whitey, and Mystery Jets to name a few. The label has released over 250 records so far. Aoki has remixed many artists and bands, including Jackson 5, Drake, Kanye West, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Mike Posner, All American Rejects, Refused, The Killers, Bassnectar, Lenny Kravitz, Bloc Party, Snoop Dogg, Robin Thicke, S.P.A., Kid Cudi, Chester French and Peaches. http://steveaoki.com/blog/bio

    Congorock – Rocco Rampino, aka Congorock is an Italian electro-house and dance- punk producer who gained popularity with his track ‘ Babylon’ which was included in the Ministry of Sound Compilation 2010.Said to be the hottest fresh face in the international dance music scene, with his unique style and approach to music which has grabbed him a lot of attention.

    Congorock has worked with some biggest names in the industry such as Steve Aoki, Travis Barker, Rihanna, Benny Banassi, Skrillex, Pitbull, Swedish House Mafia. His recent ventures have made his tracks reach new commercial heights.

    Jacob Plant – At just 22, Jacob Plant has already become a household name in the dance music scene. Having worked with and remixed for some huge names in the industry such as Rihanna, Calvin Harris and Iggy Azalea, Jacob Plant has already carved a niche for himself as a respected producer.

  • Peroni brings Eulogy! India on board

    Peroni brings Eulogy! India on board

    MUMBAI: Peroni Nastro Azzurro, one of the world’s premium Italian beer has partnered with the PR and communication agency Eulogy! India. As part of the mandate, the Bangalore-based agency will develop and handle the strategic communications for the brand. It will start with launching their campaign “Storie di Stile” that celebrates an exciting milestone.

    SABMiller India marketing director Darioush Afzali said, “We wanted to take on board an agency that would be able to complement our brand communication strategies. Eulogy with its robust set of lifestyle clients we feel, has a good understanding of the national lifestyle media landscape and will be able to create the positioning we are looking for. We are happy to announce this partnership and look forward to exciting times ahead.
    Eulogy! director RohanSrinivasan, expressed his happiness on winning the account and said, “Peroni Nastro Azzurro is an iconic Italian brand and I am delighted to partner with them on their ambitious vision that could transform the beer industry in India”.

  • Titan ties up with Italian motorcycle brand Ducati to sell its limited range

    Titan ties up with Italian motorcycle brand Ducati to sell its limited range

    NEW DELHI: In a novel marketing technique, the Titan brand of watches has tied up with Italian motorcycle brand Ducati to release a new range inspired by the technology and finesse of the Italian brand.

    The Titan Ducati collection comprises eight watches and will be available in Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai for the next eight to 12 months.

    Said to have been inspired by the naked Ducati bike models, the watches costing Rs 22,995 to Rs 26,995 have features like multiple piece case construction, stainless steel body, carbon fibre dials and fully automatic multifunction calibres.

    Titan will not sell these watches in volumes but expects to sell 5000 models, showcasing the features of Titan as a brand and a timepiece, along with the personality of Ducati.

    According to Titan Global marketing and product head Rajan Amba said, “Collaborations are nothing new for Titan that has in the past partnered with other brands as well. From cars to Marvel super heroes, Titan thrives on shared messaging and mutually beneficial alliances.”

    Referring to the high price, he said the look, feel and design intricacy of the movement and not the price mattered.

    Amba says “We are going to use outdoor publicity in Bangalore and Bombay, while in Delhi the focus would be print. We are choosing large hoardings and good locations.”

    Ducati Motor holding S.p.A B.U. director apparel & brand development Lucio Attin? said, “We are delighted that a great company such as Titan selected the brand Ducati to launch a new collection of sport inspired watches in India. This represents the confirmation that Ducati is more and more a global brand expressing the values of sport, style and performance, well beyond the boundaries of the motorcycle world.”

  • FTII film by Italian student wins award at Krakow filmfest

    FTII film by Italian student wins award at Krakow filmfest

    NEW DELHI: 'Allah is Great', an endearing short film from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII)., has won the Student Jury award for Short Film Competition at the 53rd Krakow Film Festival.

    Directed by Andrea Ianetta, an Italian student of the FTII, it is the story of a Frank Asmas, a Danish engineer who meets taxi driver Salim when he is on his way out of a remote Indian village to fly to Nairobi. Their journey together appears to result in mayhem, but ends with a moral that whatever happens is for the best. ‘Allah is Great’ is a line that Salim continues to use every time there is a problem.

    The Jury awarded the film for “the precision of narration and reminding us that it’s not always worth to be on time.” This film was earlier honoured with Special July Mention (Coming Stars Panorama) at the 5th Jaipur International Film Festival, won a Special Mention at the 60th National Film awards and competed at the Gulf Film Festival earlier this year.

    Indian documentary filmmaker Sourav Sarangi was on the International Short Film Competition Jury of Krakow, which is one of the oldest film events dedicated to documentary, animated and short fiction films in Europe.

  • Euronews launches in Arabic

    Euronews launches in Arabic

    MUMBAI: Euronews, which covers world affairs from a European perspective, has started broadcasting in its eighth language, Arabic, from 12 July. The other languages of broadcast are: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian.

    Euronews Arabic will use the existing distribution network globally. The channel has been carried on two new satellites of the Arabsat fleet, since 1 July, via digital transmission to extend its reach to a potential audience of nearly 32 million households in the Middle East, says a company release.

    Euronews claims that with these two satellites, the channel is now available in 248 million households in 135 countries worldwide.

    For the new channel, Euronews has recruited a 17-member team of Arabic-speaking journalists. The team is headed by Mohamed Abdel Azim, who participated in the original launch of Euronews in 1993, and is made up of journalists from eight different countries: Algeria (6), Bahrain (1), Egypt(1 + the head of the Arabic team), Lebanon (3), Morocco (1), Palestinian territories (1), Syria (1) and Tunisia (2).

    “We must build an intellectual and cultural bridge over the Mediterranean; a bridge founded on mutual understanding and shared values. Increased cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean region is of vital and strategic importance for all partners in political, economic and cultural terms. Euronews in Arabic will contribute to the exchange of cultures between the European Union and the peoples of other parts of the world, in particular from the other side of the Mediterranean and the Middle East,” said European Parliament president Hans-Gert Pöttering.

    Adding further, Euronews chairman and CEO Philippe Cayla said, “Our Arabic version will help Arabic-speakers to better understand the framework and issues around European policies. Euronews Arabic will also enhance the channel’s position as an international reference for global news.”