60 GaminG
proximately 15 percent of all gaming
machines, and [if] at least half of these
would contain illegal or counterfeit ma-
chines, the losses may amount to more
than US$2 billion”.
Major culprits appear to thrive in
emerging markets where second-hand
machine dealers reproduce software and
artwork of popular games. In addition,
dedicated laboratories sell pirated game
software and artwork.
But it’s difficult to stop piracy at its
sources. “Piracy discovery usually re-
sults from the ultimate deployment in the
market of the infringing product, spark-
ing subsequent investigation and, where
warranted, enforcement proceedings, ei-
ther by the manufacturer directly or by
the local police, with technical assistance
to identify counterfeit product supplied
by the manufacturer,” Greenslade ex-
plained.
Over the past two years, GIPA mem-
Hunting pirates
bers have successfully commenced crim-
inal and civil proceedings in jurisdictions
worldwide against persons known or sus-
pected of product piracy and intellectual
Manufacturers unite under flag of Gaming Industry Piracy
property. Their efforts have resulted in
Alliance to target counterfeiters and copyright infringers court orders and raids that have perma-
by Anita Duffin
nently shut down a number of interna-
tional pirate operations.
P
iRates far less entertaining than Novomatic, WMS Gaming, International
Johnny Depp have long plagued Game Technology, Bally, Konami, Spielo Cleopatra under siege
the world’s leading gaming man- Manufacturing ULC, Progressive Gam-
ufacturers, copying software and slot ing International, and Atronic Interna- A current case involves a machine
machines across the world. In an effort tional no jointly fight piracy on an inter- that was detected for sale in Macau, which
to curb the growing number of pirated national scale across jurisdictions. was essentially a reproduction of Aristo-
machines, major industry players have Anti-piracy efforts target North crat’s Cleopatra machine in its popular
come together to form the Gaming In- America, South America, Asia, Central Queen of the Nile series. Once identified
dustry Piracy Alliance (GIPA). Through and Eastern Europe and the Middle East. as counterfeit, the machine was tracked
GIPA, members can jointly participate in “Traditionally, problematic areas are back to its place of purchase in Belgium.
the enforcement of intellectual property parts of South America, Asia and East- As proceedings were undertaken against
rights and other anti-piracy initiatives. ern Europe,” Greenslade said. “In short, the Belgium seller, it was then discovered
“From 2004, Aristocrat was identify- any country that has historically suffered that the software and artwork actually
ing numerous instances of piracy involv- from corruption at various levels of gov- originated from another company in Syd-
ing its products in emerging gaming mar- ernment has under-resourced gaming ney. Following a court-sanctioned raid on
kets in Asia, parts of South America and regulators, and/or a court system that has the Sydney premises, infringing software
in Eastern Europe, and taking action to lengthy, bureaucratic, non-transparent and artwork was found, and Aristocrat
close these operations down,” said David legal processes coupled with underpaid won a damages award. The Australian
Greenslade, General Manager of Intel- judges is a prime target market for coun- Department of Gaming and Racing in
lectual Property and Responsible Gam- terfeit gaming machine supply or manu- New South Wales are investigating the
ing for Aristocrat Australia. “In most facture.” parties involved.
of these instances, competitor machines Greenslade also identified a problem
were also being pirated. It made sense Counting doubloons area for piracy in Peru where GIPA has
for manufacturers to pool resources and been working consistently with local po-
share the costs of identifying and then Greenslade said it’s difficult to pin- lice to assist in “weeding out” counterfeit
prosecuting piracy. Accordingly, Aristo- point monetary losses resulting from machines and support raids and subse-
crat proposed to all major manufacturers product and intellectual property breach- quent software identification. He believes
that an anti-piracy alliance be founded.” es. But he estimates the “grey market GIPA’s efforts are paying off.
So GIPA was born. Aristocrat, for gaming machines worldwide is ap- “Certainly in Peru, we’ve had a turn
february 2009
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