Brazil: Success for Operation 404 anti-piracy initiative
March 15, 2023
By Colin Mann
With the support of recording industry trade body IFPI and Pro-Música Brasil, Brazilian law enforcement authorities have completed a substantial series of actions as part of the ongoing ‘Operation 404’, an initiative that tackles copyright and licencing infringing services on the Internet.
Operation 404 is one of the largest copyright infringement campaigns of its kind and includes a range of actions targeting unlicensed music services. To date, the operation has already achieved wide-ranging success resulting in the suspension of nearly 1,000 domains, removal of 720 infringing music apps, and delivery of 96 search warrants.
These actions involved cooperative efforts between the Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security, local cybercrime police units and law enforcement authorities abroad.
The Peruvian Copyright Office, INDECOPI, has engaged with Operation 404 for the first time since 2019, working with Brazilian authorities to shut down a major web ring, which had more than 72 domains dedicated to music piracy, including MP3 Download and stream-ripping sites. In parallel, the Brazilian authorities have ordered the removal of 63 additional stream-ripping mobile apps from Brazilian app stores and initiated actions against a major group responsible for pre-release infringements. The Police IP Crime Unit, City of London Police, a strategic partner to Brazilian authorities for Operation 404, has planned further disruptive actions related to a number of infringing sites.
Commenting on Operation 404, Melissa Morgia, IFPI’s Director of Global Content Protection and Enforcement said: “As a result of the coordinated work of the Brazilian authorities, together with the relevant agencies, Operation 404 continues to make important progress by disrupting unlicensed music services on a large scale. We thank and commend all the authorities and agencies involved in carrying out these actions for their ongoing collaboration and support in protecting music creators’ content.”
Paulo Rosa, Director, Pro-Música Brasil, added: “Operation 404, run by the Brazilian Ministry of Justice with the support of several enforcement agencies at both national and international levels, has established itself, with its many waves throughout the last five years, including this last one, as a key element in enforcing music creators’ rights and protecting such rights from criminal organisations that are operating in the online environment. I join IFPI in thanking all authorities and agencies involved.”