Law enforcement authorities in Vietnam have shut down one of the world’s largest online services for pirated movie content, according to the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE).
Their action targeted Fmovies, a Hanoi-based operation that has offered illicit access to feature-length movies, anime and other content since at least 2016. Through Fmovies, the pirates operated a number of other websites and services, including bflixz, flixtorz, movies7, myflixer and aniwave, which drew more than 6.7 billion web visits between January of last year and this past June, ACE claimed.
“The takedown of Fmovies is a stunning victory for casts, crews, writers, directors, studios, and the creative community across the globe,” said Charles Rivkin, the Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and Chairman of ACE. “With the leadership of ACE and the partnership of the Ministry of Public Security and the Hanoi Municipal Police, we are countering criminal activity, defending the safety of audiences, reducing risks posed to tens of millions of consumers, and protecting the rights and livelihoods of creators.”
Citing data from SimilarWeb, ACE said Fmovies was the 11th most-popular website for illegal access to TV shows, movies and other streaming content, and was officially listed as a “notorious market” by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) between 2017 and last year.
“We commend the Hanoi Police for working with ACE to shut down the world’s largest piracy ring and sending a powerful deterrent message in this milestone case,” said Larissa Knapp, the Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer for the MPA. “The takedown of Fmovies is a testament to the power of collaboration in protecting the intellectual property rights of creators around the world. We look forward to ongoing joint efforts with Vietnamese authorities, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Department of Justice International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) program to bring the criminal operators to justice.”
“Strengthening intellectual property rights is an important element of the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership,” said U.S. Ambassador Marc E. Knapper. “These prosecutions demonstrate Vietnam’s commitment to intellectual property rights enforcement, contributing to an economic ecosystem where creators and inventors can thrive.”
“The Vietnamese movie industry is at a pivotal stage of development, transitioning from a state-subsidized production model to a rapidly growing phase driven by private sector involvement,” said Madam Ngo Phuong Lan, the Chairwoman of the Vietnam Film Development Association (VFDA). “To achieve fast and sustainable growth and integrate into the global film industry, it is essential that we follow the right path. Intellectual property rights protection is a crucial element for our industry’s success. The VFDA strongly applauds the efforts of ACE, in collaboration with Vietnamese authorities, to combat the serious infringing activities of the Fmovies operators. We believe this milestone will contribute significantly to the advancement of the Vietnamese film industry.”
The targeted closure of Fmovies marks the latest anti-piracy action by ACE and its law enforcement partners this month. Two weeks ago, ACE said it was successful in closing a popular anime-focused website that offered illegal access to movies and TV shows. In a separate action, ACE reached a $2 million settlement with the operator of five websites that resold access to TV shows and films without proper compensation to Hollywood studios.
