{"id":84743,"date":"2025-08-23T09:00:28","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T09:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/?p=84743"},"modified":"2025-08-23T09:00:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T09:00:28","slug":"lithuanian-regulator-clashes-with-data-firm-over-misleading-piracy-stats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/?p=84743","title":{"rendered":"Lithuanian Regulator Clashes With Data Firm Over \u201cMisleading\u201d Piracy Stats"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"lithuaniaLate last year, the European Union Intellectual Property Office released its latest copyright infringement monitor<\/a> report. <\/p>\n

The research is part of a recurring series that has tracked European piracy rates since 2017. Among other things, the data helps to shape future policy decisions. <\/p>\n

The report draws on data provided by UK-based piracy monitoring company MUSO<\/a>. The data is largely based on web-based visits to pirate sites and doesn\u2019t count views or downloads for this purpose. That said, it\u2019s generally seen as a decent proxy for pirate interest. <\/p>\n

As in previous years, Lithuania was listed as one of the countries with a relatively high number of visits to pirate sites per user, more than double the EU average. This isn\u2019t a major surprise, as piracy rates in Eastern Europe have always been high. However, the Lithuanian authorities believe this doesn\u2019t reflect the reality on the ground. <\/p>\n

Lithuania: We\u2019re No Piracy Haven<\/h2>\n

Earlier this week, the Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission (LRTK) published an article<\/a> highlighting its achievements on the anti-piracy front. It notes that hundreds of sites were blocked in 2024 to prevent access to copyrighted content. <\/p>\n

The authorities also enabled more advanced methods, including advanced DNS and HTTPS blocking. With these measures in place, LRTK is confident that a significant part of all traffic to piracy sites has been eliminated, motivating more people to sign up with legal streaming platforms.<\/p>\n

These enforcement updates are not just to show the country\u2019s reported progress on the anti-piracy front; the government body specifically wants to counter the impression that Lithuania is a piracy haven.<\/p>\n

\u201cLithuania is consistently implementing effective measures to fight against piracy. In recent years, the blocked websites have covered a significant portion of illegal traffic. Claims that Lithuania is a leader in piracy no longer reflect reality today,\u201d says Mantas Marti\u0161ius, LRTK\u2019s Chairman.<\/p>\n

Dated Piracy Data<\/h2>\n

The regulatory body is undeniably taking action in response to piracy. Measuring the effectiveness of these measures isn\u2019t straightforward, but it\u2019s clear that LRTK is frustrated by the suggestion that online piracy is (still) rampant in the country. <\/p>\n

LRTK says that public discussions continue to cite MUSO data from 2021, which ranked Lithuania fifth (*note<\/a>)<\/sup> in the EU when considering piracy rate per user. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

LTRK\u2019s article (translated)<\/em><\/center>
\"LTRK\"<\/center><\/p>\n

According to LRTK, current policy discussions should not be based on old data, since the situation in Lithuania has changed dramatically. Enforcement has picked up in the country and while MUSO data can be useful, it is not flawless, LRTK says. <\/p>\n

\u201cMUSO data can be useful for seeing the global picture, but it is not accurate enough to assess individual countries. Especially relatively small markets like Lithuania,\u201d LRTK\u2019s chairman says.<\/p>\n

\u201cMisleading\u201d Data Discussed at EUIPO<\/h2>\n

The regulatory body goes a step further by calling the data misleading. It points out several issues and problems, including retrospective data updates, the exclusion of non-web-based piracy, and the lack of a clear definition of what constitutes a pirate site.<\/p>\n

LRTK also notes that the sample of pirate sites includes legitimate websites. When we asked for more details, a spokesperson mentioned the official South Park URL, southparkstudios.com, as an example of a site that\u2019s inaccurately listed as a pirate resource.<\/p>\n

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LRTK\u2019s Key Criticisms of MUSO\u2019s Methodology<\/h3>\n