Digital Piracy is the exploitation/ Illegal usage of content. It affects various industries such as gaming, movies, e-book, software, music, etc. It is a growing concern among content owners these days. Content creators and producers face huge revenue losses despite the hardships they face in creating and executing the content. It not only negatively impacts the content owners, but Piracy is also a huge blow to the economy.
Earlier, pirated contents were available only on torrent sites. It needed to be downloaded and modified to a TV playable format. This often affected its original quality, sometimes even the audio. But today, it’s much easier to obtain high-quality video files thanks to high‑speed internet and platforms that live-stream pirated content.
Even though it is not possible to completely eradicate digital piracy, there are a few measures to be followed to keep it in check. Most of the countermeasures used in the fight against digital piracy make use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies. AI-based engines and ML-based tools help in improving security effectively. The algorithms help keep an eye on online posts and track duplication of content. The AI and ML algorithms scan each frame of the uploaded content and then thoroughly scan the internet for any pirated copy of the same.
Digital Rights Management tools restrict the usage of copyrighted online content. DRM tools allow content creators to decide what the content users can do with their content. For example, the AI in DRM uses codes that allow users to access the content a certain number of times or on certain devices, forbid downloading or copying of the content.
Forensic Watermarking uses AI and ML codes to hide the essential information regarding a particular file while keeping its identity intact. This watermarking is impossible to remove without affecting the quality of the original video. Several Algorithms used in Digital Watermarking makes it extremely difficult for hackers to modify or fake it. Digital Watermarking also acts as an agreement between contract owners and the users who share their content.
Website Blocking is another method used to fight online digital piracy. Content Creators can list a set of filters that define what needs to be blocked on the web. Machine Learning codes help filter content and help in blocking sites that contain pirated material or copies. Several studies have reported that blocking multiple piracy pages has reduced the number of piracy over the years and has resulted in people viewing content gtom authentic pages.
Digital Fingerprinting is another technique that uses Artificial Intelligence-based engines to track content that has copyrights. Here, the algorithms convert a huge file to a shorter sequence of bytes that has a unique identity like a fingerprint. This file is then used to compare throughout the distribution channels and live streams for duplicate content. Similar to that of a human fingerprint, Artificial Intelligence makes use of digital fingerprints to monitor and track pirated copies.
A Promising Anti-Piracy Future
It is fascinating how technology has developed over the last few decades and the impossible is becoming possible. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning-based tools have helped content creators and publishers safeguard their content to a large extent and are continuing to do so. The use of Algorithm-based AI engines and Machine Learning by several platforms has promised an uninterrupted experience to the users along with its security. With more and more AI and ML algorithms being brought into use, there’s a lift of hope for several industries.
