A new anti-piracy campaign from the local film and television community says ‘thank you’ to audiences who choose to watch content via authorised legitimate channels.
The television and film organisations which make up the Intellectual Property Awareness Foundation (IPAF) produced and distributed the consumer awareness message, which features actors such as Susie Porter.
“I chose to personally become involved in this campaign because our industry relies on the good will of our audience for any show to be a success. It’s important to once in a while say ‘thank you’ to Australians who chose to support our work,” Porter said in a statement.
The campaign was launched on Queensland’s Gold Coast at the opening of the Australian International Movie Convention (AIMC), to an audience of almost 1000 film distributors and cinema operators.
It marks a departure from previous campaigns, which featured something of a fear campaign to remind viewers of the penalties of content theft and pirating, or how it hurts the industry.
IPAF executive director, Lori Flekser, said the campaign relied on research by Sycamore and Newspoll which found that nearly two-thirds of Australians do not access unauthorized films and television shows online, while another 10 per cent have stopped doing so in the last 12 months. The survey also found that over three-quarters of Australians are more aware of the growth of online legal alternatives.
“We also want to remind everyone that piracy is a threat to a enormous number of jobs in cinemas, DVD manufacturing and retail stores, and in the production and distribution of Australian films and TV," Flekser said in a statement. "Paying for content ultimately benefits everyone.”