Key Capabilities / Features

On average, access to nearly 10,000 video servers per live event is blocked, so what makes server blocking truly unique is not only its focus on video delivery servers – versus just front-end pirate services – but rather its ability to run for the duration of events defined in an order, priming it to tackle live video content, including sports games.

To do so, Friend MTS blocks access to pirates’ content delivery infrastructure by blackholing traffic requests. The IP block list is updated every 5 minutes, making it more effective than traditional domain blocking. In fact, the company provides content protection services to sports leagues and service providers to remove illegal streams in less than 4 minutes with Friend MTS’ server blocking.

For live events such as sporting events, server blocking can successfully block access to large numbers of servers providing illicit content, hugely disrupting pirate service provision and causing widespread consternation in the piracy community of both providers and viewers.

With this technology, Friend MTS is not only able to protect the value of their customers’ content, the company is also able to thoroughly analyze the root causes of content fraud with the help of Friend MTS’ data and reporting support.

Server blocking enabled by large-scale automated content monitoring is one of the most effective methods to mitigate the threat of illegal live content redistribution today. Video capture and analysis monitoring is equally effective for all content that requires fast takedown, and service providers can deploy the same monitoring solutions to protect their valuable content within early-release windows when rapid IP enforcement is of the essence.

How we are different

Capturing and analyzing an average of 3 years worth of video content every day, Friend MTS is a leading global provider of advanced content security and anti-piracy services and solutions, primed to differentiate itself from the competition. Specifically, its Dynamic Real-Time Delivery Server Blocking differs from competition as:

• It’s a network-level countermeasure driven by real-time monitoring and reporting of infringing IP addresses to ISPs to enable null routing. The service involves real-time discovery of the infrastructure being used to deliver infringing video, filtering and processing the information, and providing a technical interface for ISPs to apply blocking within their infrastructure by making use of either existing “blackholing” capabilities or new systems for applying real-time blocks.

• The court application process is fully supported by Friend MTS, including expert witness affidavits, technical evidence, and court appearances, as required on a case-by-case basis. Friend MTS has extensive experience in supporting such legal and regulatory applications, including the first blocking order granted for dynamic real-time network-level blocking by the High Court in London for the Premier League, which represented a complete redevelopment from the ground up on the approach to blocking based on extensive investigations by Friend MTS, including monitoring, data gathering, and in-depth data analysis over an entire season. The result was a decimation of Premier League piracy in the UK and Ireland, with a more than 500% increase in blocked IP addresses. Friend MTS will continuously re-evaluate pirate activity against the specifics of the block and support any future re-applications to the court or regulator as may be required.

• It’s implemented for rights owners and broadcasters around the world where legislation is supported with a proven impact on piracy consumption and conversion to legitimate commercial services, as it is constantly evolving and continually upgraded to stay ahead of evolving piracy threats.