Technological Development has overtaken EU Legislative Framework against Conditional Access Piracy

	AEPOC considers 2003 a turning point in the fight against piracy
	IP-based services additional focus of the Anti-piracy association
	New task force against Universal Conditional Access (UCAS)

Brussels, January 7^th, 2003 - At the last General Assembly of AEPOC held in Brussels December 19th 2002, the leading European players in digital television and services unanimously agreed that 2003 will bring about a new stage in the fight against conditional access piracy. AEPOC (European Association for the Protection of Encrypted Works and Services) groups 27 service providers and vendors in a common effort to eliminate the pirating of encrypted works and services and to increase the security and safeguarding of conditional access systems for TV broadcast and IP services.

The EU directive 98/84 on the legal protection of conditional access services entered into force 1998. While four years later some Member States have still not fulfilled the requirements of the directive, the reality has largely overtaken its provisions: New forms of piracy have evolved and new business models have developed as a result of technological change in software, hardware and most notably the Internet.

Said Jean Grenier, President of AEPOC, "There are two sides to the coin: The Internet is a very effective platform for pirates to distribute illegal access codes and updates to illegal decoding software. And second, the importance of the Internet as a business platform for pay-per-view services, such as video on demand and personalized information services, as well as its importance for corporate intra- and extranets will dramatically increase in the years to come. To fully develop its cultural and economic potential this emerging industry must be protected by efficient and to-the-point legislation as well as by an effective enforcement."

In light of these necessities, the General Assembly of AEPOC has decided to specifically add the protection of encrypted IP-based services to its areas of expertise and activities.

Also, the General Assembly has expressed its concern in regard to the recent and rapidly growing threat of UCAS (Universal Conditional Access) receivers. These devices contain the necessary chip-set to decrypt in conjunction with the suitable non-licenced software most types of conditional access systems available today. To counter this threat AEPOC has decided to create a task force which will develop appropriate steps to be taken.

Further activities of AEPOC in 2003 will include a close co-operation with other industry associations as well as with content providing associations.

The General Assembly also confirmed its objectives for 2003:

• Legal protection specifically governing the use of conditional-access devices for reasons that are not just for the protection of direct remuneration
• The punishment of the personal use and possession of illegal decoding devices
• Harmonisation of laws at the European level and the introduction of minimum thresholds for sanctions
• Creation of a specific working group at Europol to bring together technical, legal and investigative expertise

AEPOC considers the report of the European Commission on the status of the implementation of the EU directive 98/84 an important milestone towards these necessary improvements. The report is expected to be issued shortly and will mark a new stage in the fight against conditional access piracy.

During the meeting the admission of the new member Sagem (www.sagem.fr) has been approved. This increases the number of AEPOC members to 28 and further strengthens AEPOC's role in the fight against piracy.

The next AEPOC meeting will be hosted by SCM Microsystems in Munich during the month of March 2003.

AEPOC (www.aepoc.org) is the "Association Européenne pour la Protection des Œuvres et Services Cryptés" or the "European Association for the Protection of Encrypted Works and Services". AEPOC started its activities in 1995. Its current membership consists of 28 leading digital television and telecommunication companies including TV channels, conditional access providers, providers of transmission infrastructures and manufacturers of related hardware.

AEPOC's goal is to eliminate the pirating of encrypted works and services and to encourage the development of the appropriate legal, operational and technological frameworks to increase the security and safeguarding of conditional access systems for Pay-TV, TV-based and IP services.

The AEPOC members are: BetaResearch, BskyB, Canal+, Canal+ Polska, Conax, Eutelsat, IrdetoAccess, Motorola, Nagravision S.A., NDS, Nokia, NTV-Plus, Pace, Philips, Premiere, Rai, Sagem, SCM Microsystems, Showtime Arabia, Société Européenne des Satellites, Sogecable, Stream, Tele+, Thomson, TPS, UGC Europe and Viaccess (France Telecom).

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