Imagine this: Within hours of the official premiere of "Panchayat Season 4," one of the most popular web series on Prime Video, its episodes appear on illegal streaming services and torrent websites. Reports confirmed the leak, affecting audiences, platforms, and creators alike.
A recent study by Media Partners Asia, IP House, and the Confederation of Indian Industry claims that piracy cost 1.2 billion USD in 2024 and could cost 2.4 billion USD in total revenue by 2029 if unchecked.(The Economics Times)
Why should you care? Because large studios are no longer the only ones affected by streaming piracy. It threatens the whole ecosystem of digital content, including podcasts, e-learning, local producers, educators, and movies and television.
- Viewers risk malware, identity theft, or legal penalties
- Platforms can lose control, authority, and trust of the audience.
- Creators & educators lose revenue, trust, and rights over their content.
As streaming platforms multiply, content fragments, and consumer fatigue sets in, piracy is evolving — not disappearing. In the rest of this blog, we’ll map its scale, trajectories, and implications. But first, let’s see how this story connects intimately with educators like you, and how your intellectual property is also vulnerable.
What is Piracy?
The use, duplication, or distribution of another person's creative work—such as music, movies, software, games, or online courses—without that person's consent is known as piracy. It's essentially the same as distributing something that doesn't belong to you for free or in exchange for money. Piracy includes, for instance, sharing a paid course without permission or downloading a movie from an unapproved website. Businesses and artists suffer because they are deprived of the compensation they are due for their labor.
Key Global Piracy Stats at a Glance
- Piracy websites hosting movies and TV series received almost 141 billion visits globally in 2023 alone. A MUSO and Kearney report that examined over 730,000 titles worldwide produced this startling figure. It emphasizes how pervasive digital piracy is despite the growth of legitimate streaming and online learning environments. (Source)
- Even more concerning is the fact that piracy isn't decreasing. In fact, the amount of piracy traffic in 2023 has increased by about 12% over 2019. This demonstrates how the entertainment and online content sectors are changing, but piracy strategies are changing even more quickly, endangering both educators and creators. (Source)
- TV piracy leads the pack with almost 96.8 billion visits, followed by publishing piracy with 66.4 billion visits, when piracy traffic is broken down by content type. Curiously, there has been a decrease in the piracy of music and movies, indicating that online criminals are now concentrating on more popular and easily accessible content, such as e-books and television shows. (Source)
- With over 216.3 billion visits to illegal websites by 2024 including streaming, web downloads, and torrent platforms combined—the global piracy situation grew even more alarming. The sheer magnitude of piracy highlights its persistence and the pressing need for more robust digital rights management (DRM) solutions, even in the face of a slight decline in some categories. (Source)
The Situation in India
- Piracy cost the Indian media and entertainment sector ₹22,400 crore in 2023 (roughly around 2.7–3.0 billion USD).(The Times of India)
- OTT/streamed content piracy accounted for ₹8,700 crore of that, while movie theater piracy brought in ₹13,700 crore.(Money Control)
- 51% of Indian media consumers get their content from illegal sources.(The Economics Times)
- 63% of pirated traffic in India comes from streaming, making it the largest source of pirated content. Other sources include social media, torrents, and mobile apps (16%).(EY)
- Forecast: By 2029, India's digital video industry may have lost 2.4 billion USD in total, and 158 million users may have been accessing illegal video content, if significant measures are not taken.(The Economic Times)
Drivers & Behavior: Why People Pirate Content
Raw numbers only tell part of the story. Now let's understand “why” people pirate the content.
- Availability & Licensing Windows
Because content is either delayed or not legally available in their area, many users pirate. Piracy becomes a simple substitute when a television program or film is released earlier in one country and much later (or never) in another.
- Subscription fatigue & cost
Even with several streaming services, the expenses mount up. According to "The Rob Report," managing numerous subscriptions, paying exorbitant subscription fees, or not being able to access legally desired content are the main causes of Indian consumers' reliance on piracy.(The Economic Times)
- Ease & convenience
Accessing pirated streaming (through IPTV, pirate websites, etc.) is frequently simple, sometimes even easier than legal alternatives. Content is available without waiting or localization through apps, social media, or illicit streaming services.(EY)
- Account sharing & pricing models
According to studies, a sizable portion of subscribers share accounts. Also some legal models (ad-supported, hybrid, etc.) still don’t satisfy all consumer preferences. (Note: recent research has not made specific data on this topic as publicly available in India.)
- Legal enforcement & perception
Globally, legal enforcement is not uniform. Additionally, a lot of customers are unaware of the full legal ramifications or don't feel very risky. Sixty-two percent of Indian consumers who use pirated content think that stronger enforcement is required.(EY)
Trends: What Is Changing?
- Anime and TV/episodic content are becoming more popular worldwide in terms of piracy. There is a constant and high demand for those. TV piracy is still the biggest category worldwide, according to MUSO. In particular, anime frequently experiences delayed localization, which fuels unlicensed demand.(Advanced Television)
- Many regions have seen a decline in movie and music piracy (visit counts), perhaps as a result of improved legal streaming options. For instance, the number of movie piracy visits decreased by about 18% in 2024. Piracy of music also decreased.(Source)
- Continuous rise in publishing piracy, particularly for manga, e-books, etc. Readers are frequently pushed toward unlicensed sources by limited regional availability or delayed releases.(Source)
- Despite decreases, global traffic is still very high. Despite declines in some categories, hundreds of billions of people visit pirated websites annually.(Source)
Costs: How Much Revenue & Other Losses?
- 54% of OTT providers polled by the Global OTT report, reported revenue losses due to piracy prior to enacting more robust safeguards. Some people experience up to 25% revenue losses as a result of piracy.(Source)
- According to "The Rob Report," the entertainment industry in India is expected to lose ₹22,400 crore in 2023.(Source)
- An estimated ₹4,300 crore in tax revenues (GST) were lost in India as a result of piracy.(Source)
The Human & Market Impacts
- Creators & Studios: If piracy reduces profits, there will be fewer returns and less motivation to invest in expensive productions or local content.
- Consumers: Often obtain content from pirated sources that is of lower quality and poses risks (malware, poor streaming). might also experience delayed access or fewer legal options.
- Legal market stagnation: Legal streaming's growth is in danger; estimates indicate that, in India, if nothing is done, many potential users and income could be lost by 2029.(Source)
Possible Solutions & What Works
These interventions appear to be promising or effective based on the data:
- Stricter enforcement + legal tools
Laws, domain seizures, ISP blocking, and the removal of pirate websites. International cooperation can be effective in certain situations (e.g., shutting down large pirate streaming networks).(Source)
- Better legal availability & release windows
Versions in local languages and shorter wait times for content availability in various locations help prevent customers from feeling pressured to engage in piracy.
- Flexible pricing & ad-supported models
Hybrid models with lower price points that might be more available in markets where consumers are price conscious.
- Consumer education
Legal and security risks are recognized, but consumers are also assisted in appreciating the worth of genuine services.
- Technology / anti-piracy tools
DRM, watermarking, tracking of illegal streams, monitoring of piracy site traffic, etc.
- Industry collaboration
Between governments, ISPs, and studios. Data sharing, resource sharing, enforcement, and facilitating access.
How Learnyst Protects Educators from Piracy
The statistics above may seem overwhelming to educators or course developers. In actuality, piracy affects not only the multibillion-dollar movie studios but also the educators, trainers, and edupreneurs who invest countless hours in creating their courses.
That’s where Learnyst steps in.
At Learnyst, we Understand that your instructional materials are your intellectual property, and that protecting them is a top priority. For this reason, our platform incorporates the same level of protection that top OTT players rely on: L1 DRM (Digital Rights Management). This makes it nearly impossible for unauthorized downloads or screen captures to occur because your videos, PDFs, and course materials are encrypted from beginning to end.
Beyond DRM, Learnyst also adds extra security layers:
- Dynamic Watermarking: Prevents leaks by instantly embedding learner information.
- Secure Desktop & Mobile Apps: Content can only be accessed by students in secure settings.
- Screen-Capture Protection: Stops device-level content theft.
- Access Control & Analytics: Monitor the time, location, and identity of the people viewing your content.
Learnyst combines these tools to protect your intellectual property from piracy, allowing you to concentrate on what really matters: teaching online with confidence. Ready to expand your course business and safeguard your content? Begin using Learnyst right now.
Conclusion: What the Data Suggests
Streaming piracy is still widespread and ever-changing. TV/episodic content, anime, and publishing are all growing or staying the same, while other categories (music, movies) are showing signs of decline (visits, relative share). The financial losses for India are significant, and if left unchecked, estimates indicate even greater losses. However, the data also reveals levers (more stringent enforcement, more flexible pricing, and better access) that can lower piracy, recoup lost revenue, and raise customer satisfaction.
FAQs
1. Is piracy illegal?
Yes. The use or distribution of copyrighted materials without authorization, including music, movies, books, and courses, is known as piracy. It can result in fines or jail time and is against intellectual property laws.
2. Is it illegal to use uTorrent?
No. uTorrent is merely a program for sharing files. It is unlawful to use it to download or distribute copyrighted content without authorization, but it is acceptable for use with private files or open-source software.
3. Which country has the highest rate of piracy?
India is the country that visits piracy websites the most, followed by the US and Russia.