For many people, watching a football match online can cost just a few hundred dirhams a year. The service may offer hundreds of channels and films, but it may also be illegal. A new law in Morocco is now targeting these services and other forms of online piracy. Law No. 013.26, which changes the country’s copyright law, was approved by both houses of Parliament and published in the Official Gazette on 10 August.
The law updates Law No. 2.00 to cover the way people now watch, share and distribute content online.
It expands the definition of broadcasting and public communication to include the internet, satellites and digital media.
The law also gives a clear definition of piracy. Any unauthorised use of a work, performance, audio recording or audiovisual recording through digital or electronic means can be treated as a crime.
Businesses that want to use copyrighted works for commercial purposes must first get permission from the Moroccan Copyright Office, known as BMDA.
Sworn agents will also have wider powers to investigate suspected piracy. They can enter premises, check computer systems and transport, examine records and seize equipment linked to violations.
Courts can order illegal broadcasts to stop immediately. They can also order internet service providers and other companies to block or stop illegal digital streams.
The law also sets rules for sharing revenue from copyrighted content.
Performing artists, book publishers and newspaper publishers will receive a combined 35% share under the new framework. Producers will receive 10%.
The changes are part of a wider effort by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication and BMDA to update copyright rules and protect income from creative work.
Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication Mehdi Bensaïd said during parliamentary discussions that stronger copyright protection was needed to help turn cultural products into a sustainable source of economic activity.
Why IPTV is at the centre of the debate
IPTV has become an easy way for people to watch television through an internet connection.
The technology itself is legal. The problem comes when an IPTV service shows channels, films or sports without permission from the rights holders.
Official beIN Sports packages can cost between 2,200 and 2,800 dirhams a year. More expensive 4K or Ultimate packages can cost between 3,000 and 5,800 dirhams.
An official decoder can also cost around 1,990 dirhams.
Unofficial IPTV services are much cheaper. A basic 12-month subscription can cost between 200 and 300 dirhams. Some premium packages cost between 500 and 600 dirhams.
These services can also offer thousands of channels, films and local broadcasts in one package.
Smart TVs, smartphones and cheap Android TV boxes make these services easy to use. IPTV subscriptions and equipment have also become widely available through technology markets such as Derb Ghallef in Casablanca.
IPTV services first appeared in Morocco around 2006, when Maroc Telecom offered television services with ADSL packages.
The market grew faster after fibre internet and 4G became more widely available between 2015 and 2018. Faster connections made it easier to watch high-definition video without constant buffering.
The number of people using IPTV has continued to grow since then.
Industry reports estimate that unlicensed digital streaming and IPTV make up more than 70% of illegal audiovisual consumption in the region.
Unauthorised rebroadcasting also costs local media platforms tens of millions of dollars each year, according to industry estimates.
The new law aims to make it easier to stop these broadcasts and recover more money for creators, publishers and producers.
Industry reports estimate that clearer royalty rules could increase payments to rights holders by about 25% during the first phase of implementation.
