The ecosystem for accessing TV series and films in Spain: An outline of the situation following the Intellectual property act 2015

Abstract

The widespread introduction of broadband Internet has transformed the traditional way of watching TV series and films. Beyond the legal services there is a widely established ecosystem that provides unauthorized access to copyrighted material; an ecosystem which, in Spain, represents a parallel channel on which to view content. We have analyzed the leading link provider websites in Spain over a period of one year, since enforcement on January 1, 2015 of the Revised Text of the Intellectual property act (Trlpi). Our analysis reveals how the ecosystem has been reorganized and its balance altered. However, in contrast to the objective of the measures proposed by the Trlpi, the new legislation has not led to a reduction in the size of the piracy ecosystem in Spain.