Yakwetu


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Mark Dinn


An operation spearheaded by the Partners Against Piracy (PAP) association in Kenya with the support of the police and the Kenya Copyright Board has resulted in the shutdown of two illegal internet streaming sites in Nairobi.

The operation, which was conducted in Githunguri and Kasarani recently, also saw the arrest of two suspects involved in the illegal distribution of premium content and the confiscation of equipment including two cellphones and two laptops.

“The distribution of pirated content by the suspects not only undermines the Kenyan economy but also harms the entertainment industry and content creators,” PAP chairperson and MyMovies.Africa co-founder Mike Strano said. “This illicit activity deprives rightful owners of their due revenue and impacts the overall investment in quality content creation.”

MultiChoice Kenya anti-piracy manager Fredrick Saramba said: “Pirate operations continue to profit from content that they have not invested in. They steal high-quality finished products that involve significant investment in terms of money, time and talent, posing a significant threat to the local creative industry.”

Saramba, who is also the head of detection and enforcement at PAP, added: “The illegal streaming operators promise unlimited access to premium content at extremely low subscription fees, exacerbating the challenges of bringing them down.” 

The raid underscores PAP’s ongoing efforts to combat piracy and protect the rights of content creators in Kenya. PAP estimates that piracy costs Kenya’s creative economy approximately Ksh92bn ($700m) annually, or Ksh252m daily, in gross losses. It says piracy deprives the music industry of Ksh15bn and TV stations of Ksh8bn annually. 

An Irdeto survey indicates that piracy is gaining momentum, with users in five major African territories, including Kenya, making 17.4 million visits to the top 10 identified piracy sites on the internet in three months. 

Bernsoft founder and PAP deputy head of detection and enforcement Bernard Kioko said: “A major challenge we face is compounded by the lower price offerings of this premium content on pirate websites. At this rate, it would be difficult for the industry to sustain legitimate content businesses and support the growth of film crews, artists and other affiliated professionals.

“As an association that continuously protects content from our creatives, we remain committed to fighting piracy, and we call upon Kenyans to help us crack down on this menace by sharing tips on such activities, even as we prepare for the upcoming Euro 2024. We believe that together we can develop and grow a robust local creative economy,” he said.


Source: https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/kenya-two-illegal-streaming-sites-shut-down

Kenya: Two illegal streaming sites shut down


MEDIA RELEASE:

NAIROBI, 04th July 2023: Kenyan Entertainment Technology Start-up  YAKWETU™ Online Limited, has been named as 1 of the 25 Finalists for this year's WIPO Global Awards, by World Intellectual Property Organisation, which celebrates excellence in the use of intellectual property (IP) for positive impact at home and abroad.

Now in its second year, the WIPO Global Awards recognises small & medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from around the globe, that are successfully commercialising their IP-backed innovation and creativity in an exceptional manner, that also improves society.

In a near-tripling of participation from 2022, WIPO received 548 submissions from 58 countries across all regions of the world, and a wide variety of sectors --- including the creative industries, food, green energy technologies, health, and more.

The 25 finalists are drawn from 16 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and Latin America. China, from where half of all applicants hailed, accounts for six of the finalists --- the strongest showing from a single country.

"_We are thrilled to be recognised for our work in Content Protection (Anti-Piracy) and Monetisation, via our first proprietary Retail service --- **MyMovies.Africa™**, which securely encrypts Animations, Documentaries, Features & Shorts from Africa, before making them available to Rent or Own to our Customers worldwide_", says Co-Founder, Content Director & Chief Executive Officer --- Ms. Trushna Buddhdev-Patel. "_As an Entertainment Technology Company, **YAKWETU™** is also deploying more innovative Anti-Piracy Interventions, to legitimise the Retail of entertainment & educational Content in Africa_."

This announcement follows an October 2021 recognition, when YAKWETU™ was 1 of 5 (from over 200 applications) admitted to the 2nd Cohort in Kenya of the Next INnovation with JApan (NINJA) Accelerator; which concluded with the Launch of their Fundraising in January 2022.

The WIPO Global Award 2023 winners will be announced publicly at a live-webcasted awards ceremony on 11th July in Geneva --- Switzerland, held during the WIPO Assemblies, where winners will showcase their achievements.

WIPO Global Award winners will receive a customized 1:1 mentoring package to bolster their IP strategies, including funding facilitation, partnership opportunities and publicity support.

Notes to Editors

1). More about WIPO Global Award 2023, List of Finalists and their Profiles:

[WIPO Global Awards 2023 Finalists: Celebrating Global Excellence in IP-Backed Business](https://www.wipo.int/global-awards/en/news/2023/news_0002.html?utm_source=WIPO+Newsletters&utm_campaign=0157f63963-DIS_PRESS_UPDATE_EN_310523_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-e43393f8c2-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D)

2). More about YAKWETU™ Online Limited:

Meaning both "Of Us" and "For Us" in Kiswahili (the most popular African language), YAKWETU™ is an Entertainment Technology company that's innovatively disrupting the 95--99% Piracy-dominated distribution channel of digital content in Kenya, with plans for the rest of Africa and other developing Countries.

Its proprietary online Home Entertainment & Edutainment system has taken proactive measures to Protect and Monetise the Intellectual Property (IP) of its Content Partners.

Released on 26th September 2019, their Poof-of-Concept is MyMovies.Africa™, as a Mobile-first Digital Cinema Extension, offering securely Encrypted original Movies from Africa (i.e. New Releases, Classics, Features, Shorts, Animations, Documentaries, etc) on Smart Devices, across Africa and to her Diaspora, in 195 Countries.

MyMovies.Africa™ features Premium Video On Demand --- PVOD (#RentFor2Days) for New Releases, Transactional Video On Demand --- TVOD (#RentFor7Days), Electronic Sell Through --- EST (#OwnForLife) purchase and Watch Parties via ZOOM, all Accessed here: [https://app.mymovies.africa](https://app.mymovies.africa/)

YAKWETU™ is adapting this proprietary technology to securely Retail other Digital Content from Africa, while also modernising existing Value Chains.

More information here: [https://www.yakwetu.africa](https://www.yakwetu.africa/)

![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:700/1*Vivq68Q3fDmgI3GiU9Hmuw.jpeg)

Back Row (Left to Right): Peter Kimani --- Fullstack Developer, Mike Strano --- Co-Founder & Chief Operations Officer, Gideon Warui --- Data Engineer, Jackson Kitsao --- Lead Fullstack Engineer, and Brian Singor'a --- Growth Advisor.

Front Row (Left to Right): Esther Ogutu --- Data Scientist, Brian Waweru --- Development Lead, Denis Muriithi --- Intern, Brandon Temba --- Content Assistant, Trushna Buddhdev-Patel --- Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, and James Mwenda --- Finance & Administration Manager.


Kenyan Entertainment Technology Start-up- YAKWETU™ Online Limited, has been named as 1 of the 25 finalists for this year’s World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Global Awards which celebrates excellence in the use of Intellectual property (IP) for positive impact at home and abroad.

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Kenya: Two illegal streaming sites shut down

Kenya’s YAKWETU™ Named amongst Finalists for 2023 WIPO Global Awards!