2^nd AEPOC European Anti-Piracy Symposium will discuss status of audio-visual piracy in Europe

	To be held October 21st in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
	Registration at www.aepoc.org

Brussels, September 20^th 2004 - AEPOC (European Association for the Protection of Encrypted Works and Services) will hold its 2^nd AEPOC European Anti-Piracy Symposium October 21^st, 2004 in Amsterdam. At the occasion of the Dutch presidency of the European Union the annual event will convene industry professionals as well as representatives of law enforcement agencies, policy makers and the press from across Europe.

At its first symposium last year in Vicenza, Italy, the association welcomed more than 120 media professionals. "Our symposium last year made a significant contribution to the advancement of discussions among anti-piracy professionals. This year's event, with its broad participation, will invigorate the dialogue between the media industry and regulators," said Jean Grenier, president of AEPOC.

A comprehensive and up-to-date picture of piracy of audio-visual services in Europe will be presented in Amsterdam. The topics and speakers scheduled to date are:

• Europe:
  Value and perspectives of the Conditional Access Directive
  Caroline Loup, E.U. Commission
• National Policy
  Fighting piracy and promoting legal offers - recent government decisions in France
  Jean Berbinau, Member of the Governmental Advisory Board on Information Technology
• Insight I
  Pay media and public interest
  Prof. Dr. Nico van Eijk, Institute for Information Law, University of Amsterdam
• Insight II
  Copyright law and the protection of encrypted services
  Job Rietkerk, DLA SchutGrosheide
• Insight III
  Public-private partnership in fighting piracy
  Tim Kuik, Stichting BREIN
• Background I
  The best of both worlds - a strategy for content protection
  Doug Lowther, Irdeto Access
• Background II
  The role of technology - in protecting electronic pay media
  Mathieu Goudsmits, Philips

The symposium will be moderated by Davide Rossi,
Secretary General of AEPOC, Member of the Intellectual Property Committee Italian Prime Ministers Cabinet

The registration is free of charge and can be made until October 12th, 2004 online at www.aepoc.org.

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 31 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 (piracy of audiovisual 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 services and IP services.

The AEPOC members are: Aston, BskyB, Canal+, Canal+ Polska, comvenient, Conax, Digiturk, Eutelsat, Humax, Irdeto Access, Motorola, Nagravision, NDS, Nokia, NTV-Plus, Opentech, Pace, Philips, Premiere, Sagem, SCM Microsystems, Showtime Arabia, Sky Italia, Sogecable, Thomson, TPS, TVCabo, UGC Europe, Viaccess - France Telecom, Viasat Broadcasting and WELA Electronic.

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