IAB UK signs MoU on online advertising and intellectual property rights

IAB UK has today signed the ‘Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on online advertising and intellectual property rights’, facilitated by the European Commission, to demonstrate its commitment to helping ensure that ads aren’t placed on pirate sites hosting copyrighted content. The MoU brings together advertisers, advertising intermediaries, technology providers and trade bodies to help stem the flow of advertising budgets to sites and apps that provide illegal access to music, films, games, live sports and other copyrighted content.

Brand safety is important for all players in the digital advertising system, both to help protect brands’ reputations but also to help avoid ads inadvertently funding illegal activity. It’s also ever-more important that as industry we clearly demonstrate to Governments and regulators that we are acting responsibly to help address ad misplacement.

IAB UK is a founder member of JICWEBS, whose brand safety initiative, the Display Trading Standards Group (DSTG), provides the framework for buyers to specify where they do and don’t want their ads to be placed. The DTSG Good Practice Principles enable the use of brand safety tools such as whitelists, blacklists and content verification tools. Specifically in relation to copyright infringement, the digital ad industry together with rights-holders and the City of London Police has established the ‘Infringing Website List’ of sites that the Police have determined to be infringing copyright law. Brands should work with DTSG-certified partners and require that they use the IWL to avoid their ads being placed on known illegal sites.

To access the IWL contact the City of London Police on [email protected] or for more information contact our Head of Policy & Regulatory Affairs, Christie Dennehy-Neil [email protected]