Acting Director of the Hellenic Copyright Organization, Ms Maria-Dafne Papadopoulou, delivered a greeting at the event entitled “Protecting Creation”, organized by the Society for the Protection of Audiovisual Works (EPOE) on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, at the Anesis Summer Cinema, on the occasion of the special screening of the film Life in a Beat (Mikres Anases).
Ms Papadopoulou referred to the case of the illegal subscription content retransmission network dismantled by the Organized Crime Division of the Hellenic Police (DAOE) – Crete Department for Combating Organized Crime, involving more than 86,000 subscribers and profits of at least €7 million, as an example of the organized and commercial nature that audiovisual piracy has acquired today. She also presented recent legislative developments, with particular emphasis on Law 5179/2025, which introduced an administrative fine for end users, as well as the strengthened role of the Committee for the Notification of Copyright and Related Rights Infringements on the Internet (EDPPI) in the dynamic blocking of illegal websites. Finally, she addressed the challenges and opportunities arising from Artificial Intelligence, highlighting the importance of prevention as a more effective long-term tool compared with enforcement alone.
The event was attended by the Minister of Citizen Protection, Mr Michalis Chrysochoidis, as well as representatives of the competent authorities and organizations involved in the protection of intellectual property and the fight against audiovisual piracy. During the event, the Crete Department for Combating Organized Crime of the DAOE was honored for its significant contribution to the protection of intellectual property rights, creators, and the legitimate audiovisual market. The ceremony was followed by the screening of the award-winning film Life in a Beat (Mikres Anases), directed by Amerissa Basta.
The Hellenic Copyright Organization supports every initiative that promotes public information and awareness regarding the value of intellectual property and strengthens cooperation among all relevant stakeholders for the effective protection of creators and their works.
Photographic material from the event follows.