Piracy, the axe on end users: first 2,266 fines imposed

The digital Ariadne's thread led to the first block of fines as a result of the action against audiovisual piracy. A battle that the Serie A League, clubs and broadcasters feel is increasingly vital. A new law, the action of the Gdf and the Public Prosecutor's Office (in this case of Lecce), and the alarm raised by the rights-holding broadcasters (Dazn and Sky) have now led to the leap forward. The fines to end users. Not so much: 154 euros. But there is still facing a summons from the Gdf, the knowledge of having been caught and entry on that black list that can also lead to more revealing fines (5 thousand euro) or even criminal proceedings.

This was discussed during a press conference dedicated to the fight against audiovisual piracy in football at the CONI headquarters in Rome. 'This is a regulation that can be applied to bring about the effects that everyone is waiting for. From today on there is zero tolerance from the institutions and politics. We have created a rule that we hope will produce results, I think today we have arrived at a system that solves all the problems,' said Claudio Lotito, Forza Italia senator and rapporteur of the anti-piracy rule.

Law No. 93 of 14 July 2023, which the Forza Italia senator and president of the Lazio region was the very first to approve, grants extraordinary powers to the Communications Guarantee Authority for a very rapid contrast: in practice, Agcom will now be able to order internet service providers to immediately disable access to illegally transmitted content by blocking the DNS of pirate sites. All within 30 minutes of the rights holder's notification - 'This is a very rapid intervention time that puts our legislation at the forefront in Europe. To support this action, a unique technological platform, the Piracy Shield, was developed in cooperation with the National Cybersecurity Agency to automate and make the timely blocking of illegal sites even more effective. We also wanted to make telecommunication operators accountable: the message is clear, internet providers must actively and urgently cooperate in blocking, with no more grey areas or tolerable delays'.

The law affects both those who offer content illegally and those who enjoy it. Very severe penalties are envisaged: up to 3 years imprisonment for those who broadcast pirated sports content and, as mentioned, fines of up to EUR 5,000 for end users who watch it

"Thanks to the cooperation between the Special Component and the Provincial Command of Lecce, 183 Territorial Units of the Guardia di Finanza have sanctioned 2,266 abusive users in 80 Italian provinces. Procedures are under way to identify other customers, identified in investigations activated with 3 other Public Prosecutors' Offices. In addition, two separate criminal proceedings are being developed at the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office, under the operational protocol signed with the Gdf and Agcom," recalled Brigadier General Gaetano Cutarelli (Commander of the Special Goods and Services Unit - Guardia di finanza).