Audiovisual sector in Rwanda hides a growing menace that threatens not only its vibrant audiovisual industry but also the nation's economic stability. The surge in audiovisual piracy is casting a shadow over the prospects of this thriving sector, with repercussions reaching far beyond just the creators and distributors.
In Rwanda, there is two major forms of audiovisual piracy.
The first one is the unlawful broadcasting of audiovisual content by local channel and/or operator without the authorization of the rightsholder.
A striking case appeared in 2018. Victory TV, a local channel only available on StarTimes offers was broadcasting without authorization, on the Rwandan territory, the Premier League, and UEFA Champions League football competitions. After several years of litigation, the Court of Appeal of Rwanda (decision rendered on 16 July 2021) upheld the claims of the plaintiff companies (UEFA, Premier League, and Canal ). After several repeat offences, the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) suspended Victory TV’s license and the channel has not reappeared in the Rwandan audiovisual landscape.
This form of piracy is not yet extinct, as we are seeing the return of the Champions League to StarTimes' offerings via a Chinese channel (CCTV). According to our information, this broadcast is unauthorized and therefore illegal.
The second form of piracy we can find in Rwanda is Internet piracy (i.e., illegal streaming websites, IPTV applications, live streams on social networks, sells of decodes and offers online or on physical stores or on legitimate marketplace such as Amazon). The decoders in question contain applications that enable illicit access to numerous channels and programs via the Internet, without the authorization of the rights holders (TV channel publishers, film/series producers, operators, broadcasters, etc.).
These pirates are often part of criminal organizations because audiovisual Internet piracy finance other type of crimes.
The losses of incomes effects extend to the heart of the audiovisual industry itself. Producers, distributors, and creators are grappling with substantial losses. The scarcity of funds hampers investment in local productions, affecting employment and stifling the growth of this industry.
Online piracy is a huge loss of revenue for the state, since these illicit online offers are not regulated and therefore not subject to any taxes.
Piracy is not only an economic scourge for the entire value chain, but it also represents a social danger. Young people have access to adult, violent or propaganda content without encryption or parental control, not to mention the inconvenience caused to consumers (picture blackouts, lack of customer service, poor quality electrical equipment, theft of sensitive data, computer viruses, among others).