The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the world’s leading anti-piracy coalition, collaborated with Emirati authorities to execute a successful raid at Dragon Mart Warehouse in International City, Dubai.

The action stemmed from a claim by ACE member OSN, a major Dubai-based entertainment company servicing the Middle East and North Africa. ACE partnered with the Economic Crime Section of the Emirati Crime Investigation Department (CID) on the raid.

Officers made two arrests and seized over 3,500 internet protocol television (IPTV) boxes, which were being sold illegally to rebroadcast transmissions belonging to OSN, as well as content belonging to other ACE members in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This operation marks another milestone in ACE’s ongoing fight against piracy, demonstrating the significant dangers of enabling the distribution of pirated material.

ACE’s collaboration with the Emirati authorities demonstrates the coalition’s continued commitment to combating digital piracy around the world. This operation marks the fifth successful raid carried out by the CID at Dragon Mart Warehouse since November 2023, bringing the total of seized IPTV boxes to 3,788 and number of arrests to seven.

The seized IPTV boxes contained pirated premium channels and content from multiple rightsholders. The illegal sale of the IPTV boxes undermines the principle of broadcast licensing and directly effects what broadcasters can pay for sports and entertainment rights.

“We commend the outstanding efforts of the authorities and the police in this successful raid,” said Fiona Robertson, General Counsel at OSN. “This decisive action significantly protects our business against piracy and sends a clear message that such illegal activities will not be tolerated. By working together with law enforcement and industry partners, we can better combat piracy and aim to establish a fair and thriving marketplace for legitimate content providers.”

Karyn Temple, Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel at the Motion Picture Association (MPA), added, “ACE applauds the UAE’s CID for its swift and formidable action in the Dragon Mart raid. Copyright infringement is a crime that stifles creativity and harms the people who work in the industry, ACE members, and ultimately the economy. We appreciate the collaboration and support of OSN and their tireless commitment in the fight against digital piracy.”

This raid marks significant progress in the battle against piracy in MENA. Pirate networks in the region cost broadcasters over $1 billion a year and can threaten the viability of businesses. ACE and its members remain committed to cracking down on illegal streaming and distribution of sports and entertainment programs and continue to collaborate with authorities to locate unlawful operators across the region.

This article was first published on ACE