The shutdown of Cima4U reflects ACE's ongoing commitment to combating content piracy and preserving the integrity of the entertainment industry in the MENA region.
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) has announced the successful shutdown of Cima4U, an illicit streaming service operating from Giza, Egypt, in a significant triumph against content piracy in the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region.
Cima4U, which operated a staggering 498 domains facilitating illegal online content streaming, has been a key player in the piracy landscape. The site attracted more than 30m monthly visits from 11.6m unique visitors across its various domains. Offering a vast Video on Demand (VOD) library with more than 165,000 movie and TV series titles in Arabic and original versions, the illegal service significantly impacted all ACE members.
Speaking about the shutdown of the streaming service, Jan van Voorn, Executive Vice President and Chief of Global Content Protection for the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and Head of ACE, said: “The shutdown of Cima4U is a significant blow to the entire piracy landscape in the MENA region. With the assistance and expertise of the Egyptian police, we have been laser-focused on criminal operators in MENA for some time and successfully shut down numerous illegal operations there in the past year alone. The sheer scale of Cima4U made it particularly notable, and this takedown proves that even the most audacious infringers will face the law.”
ACE members MBC Group and OSN, two of the leading broadcast companies in the MENA region, applauded the shutdown.
Fiona Robertson, General Counsel at OSN, added: “OSN continues to be committed to fighting TV content piracy in the region through technical disruptions, on-ground support, and in-market enforcement actions. We are happy to collaborate with ACE and other members in the industry to help create awareness within our user communities.”
The impact of Cima4U’s shutdown on OSN and MBC was substantial, given that traffic to the illegal streaming service originated primarily from major media markets such as Morocco, Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.
Natasha Matos-Hemingway, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer VOD at MBC Group, emphasised the importance of combating piracy for the entertainment industry. She stated: “Combating piracy is vital for the entertainment industry as it safeguards creative content, fosters innovation, and ensures fair compensation for artists, creating a sustainable ecosystem. We are grateful for the continuous partnership with ACE in protecting our content.”
