AFACT stands for the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft. This group strives to fight copyright infringement for the film and television industries of Australia. The group claims to represent over 50,000 Australians directly impacted by copyright infringement such as independent cinemas, video rental stores and film and TV producers across the country. To achieve its aims, AFACT must work closely with law enforcement and Government agencies in Australia.
According the group, manufacturing, selling or distributing films and television content without permission from its owner is illegal and with regard to the Internet, the group advocates authorized download sources to get content for personal use. The group co-operates with law enforcement to carry out raids which lead to arrests and the seizure of both counterfeit goods and the equipment used to manufacture it.
Among its members are the Motion Picture Association, Village Roadshow Limited, Buena Vista International, Inc, Paramount Pictures Corporation, Sony Pictures Releasing International Corporation, Twentieth Century Fox International Corporation, Universal International Films, Inc., and Warner Bros. Pictures International, a division of Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.
Recently, AFACT played its part in the arrest of a man who leaked the Simpsons movie onto P2P networks. The group also once forced IT retailer Conexus to stop selling the infamous 321 studios product, DVDXCopy.
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