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New Study Shows Filipino Consumers Who Access Piracy Sites and Services at Severe Risk of Cyber Threats

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Expert, IP Office and Industry Representatives Call for Site Blocking Laws to be Passed

MANILA, Philippines, Nov. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A new study commissioned by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) showed that Filipino consumers who access piracy sites and services are at severe risk of cyber threats such as identity theft and ransomware. The study found Filipinos are up to 33 times more likely to encounter a cyber threat on the most popular piracy sites compared to legal film and TV websites.  

These findings were presented in a study released on 13 November during an anti-piracy symposium organized by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), GMA Network, Inc. and Globe Telecom. ACE, the world’s leading antipiracy coalition, is led by the MPA.  

The study was authored by Dr. Paul Watters, Honorary Professor of Security Studies and Criminology, Macquarie University in Sydney.  

“As the digital landscape grows increasingly complex, the risks to consumers accessing piracy sites – especially younger consumers – have never been more urgent,” Watters said. “Consumers today navigate an online environment fraught with hidden malware and exploitation, often without realizing the true danger they face. My research highlights the urgent need for effective action to protect consumers, as every click on a piracy site brings not only legal and ethical implications, but significant threats to users’ safety and security. We owe it to the next generation to build a safe and secure internet, which protects young people from cybercriminals.”

To mitigate the risk of consumer harm posed by piracy sites, the study recommends the enactment of proportionate and transparent site blocking laws that will target piracy sites and services, increased funding for Filipino law enforcement to enhance digital forensics and incident response capabilities, and the development of a national awareness and education campaign.  

“IPOPHL’s voluntary site-blocking initiative has emerged as a key tool in the fight against digital piracy,” said IPOPHL Director General Rowel Barba. “While it has only been implemented this year, we’ve already disabled access to nearly 20 sites with the help of the National Telecommunications Commission and internet service providers. Nevertheless, a law will institutionalize our site-blocking regime to create more outcomes, unlock the full potential of our creative economy and protect our consumers from the alarming cyber threats of piracy sites. IPOPHL is still hopeful to see a site-blocking law passed soon.”  

“The MPA’s experience in almost 60 countries around the world shows that site blocking is one of the most effective tools in our toolbox to combat piracy,” said Karyn Temple, Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel for the MPA. “This is particularly true in jurisdictions like the Philippines, where the most visited sites are run by operators based elsewhere in the world. The enactment of site blocking legislation is the next key step towards protecting Filipino consumers, content creators, and the creative industry in the Philippines and around the world.” 

The study also showed that raising consumer awareness and education – particularly with teens and pre-teens – is crucial to mitigating the cyber risks associated with piracy sites in the Philippines.  

“The study confirms what we have long feared about online piracy in the Philippines,” said Mr. Joseph T. Francia, First Vice President and Head of International Operations for GMA Network, Inc., an ACE member company. In addition to the negative economic impact to the Filipino entertainment industry, digital piracy has far more serious consequences to the Filipino consumers who are unwittingly exposed to a host of cyberthreats by visiting pirate sites. GMA is committed to continue raising consumer awareness and education on the cyber risks associated with digital piracy.”

“At Globe, we believe in a digital world that is safe and empowering for everyone,” said Yoly Cristiano, Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer for Globe, an ACE member. “This study underscores the critical need for collaborative action to protect consumers, especially young people, from the hidden dangers of online piracy. We are committed to working with the government and partners like the MPA, ACE and GMA Network to promote responsible digital citizenship and ensure a secure online experience for all Filipinos.”

The full report is available here.  

About The Motion Picture Association 

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) serves as the leading voice and advocate of the motion picture, home video, and television industries. It works in every corner of the globe to advance the creative industry, protect its members’ content across all screens, defend the creative and artistic freedoms of storytellers, and support innovative distribution models that bring an expansion of viewing choices to audiences around the world. Its member studios are Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO. 

About The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) is the world’s leading coalition dedicated to protecting the legal creative market and reducing digital piracy. Driven by a comprehensive approach to addressing piracy through criminal referrals, civil litigation, and cease-and-desist operations, ACE has achieved many successful global enforcement actions against illegal streaming services and unauthorized content sources and their operators. Drawing upon the collective expertise and resources of more than 50 media and entertainment companies around the world—including sports channels and associations—and reinforced by the Motion Picture Association’s content protection operations, ACE protects the creativity and innovation that drives the global growth of core copyright and entertainment industries. The current governing board members for ACE are Amazon, Apple TV+, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE.

About the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL)

An agency attached to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), IPOPHL was created by virtue of Republic Act 8293 or the Intellectual Property (IP) Code of the Philippines. It is mandated to protect IP and create policies and programs that shape the IP system to be a tool for promoting innovative and creative activities, facilitating transfer of technology, attracting foreign investments and ensuring market access for products.

The IPOPHL sits at the National Committee on IP Rights as vice-chair. It is also an ex-officio member of the National Innovation Council and the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council, which are respectively tasked to foster innovation and creativity in the country.

About GMA Network

GMA Network, Inc. is the Philippines’ leading broadcasting company, which produces the most innovative, most trusted, and top-rating TV programs.

Also known as the Kapuso Network, GMA brings superior entertainment and responsible, unbiased, and timely delivery of comprehensive and accurate News and Information to Filipinos anywhere in the world – through its TV, radio, online platforms and wide array of other media-related ventures: program syndication, film production, music publishing and distribution, set design, audio-visual production, and new media.

Based on Nielsen TV Audience Measurement data from January to September 2024, GMA Network including GTV and other digital channels tallied a combined people net reach of 92 percent or 67 million viewers in Total Philippines. Headquartered in Quezon City, GMA operates a network of 115 TV stations and 21 radio stations throughout the country.

Officially listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange in 2007, GMA Network, Inc. is regarded as one of the most notable organizations that promote sustainability in the country, being the first media and broadcasting company in the Philippines to sign with the United Nations (UN) Global Compact.

For more stories about the Kapuso Network, visit www.GMANetwork.com.

About Globe

Globe Telecom, Inc. is a leading full-service telecommunications company in the Philippines and publicly listed in the PSE with the stock symbol GLO. The company serves the telecommunications and technology needs of consumers and businesses across an entire suite of products and services including mobile, fixed, broadband, data connectivity, internet and managed services. It offers innovative digital solutions in the areas of fintech, healthtech, adtech, climate tech, shared services and venture capital. In 2019, Globe became a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, committing to implementing universal sustainability principles. Its principals are Ayala Corporation and Singtel, acknowledged industry leaders in the country and in the region.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/new-study-shows-filipino-consumers-who-access-piracy-sites-and-services-at-severe-risk-of-cyber-threats-302303536.html

SOURCE Motion Picture Association

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Positive Perception of Term “All-Electric Home” Increases 12 Percentage Points in Recent Years, E Source Survey Finds

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Research from the utilities-focused research, consulting, and data science company shows positive shift in homeowner perceptions of electrification technologies, though cost remains a barrier to fuel-switching. 

BOULDER, Colo., Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — E Source, a utilities-focused consulting, research, and data science company, has shared the results of its 2024 Residential Electrification Survey, including a shift in consumer attitudes toward electrification technologies in residential settings. The independent study, first conducted in 2021, fielded in April 2024 with over 10,000 residential homeowner utility customers in the United States and Canada.  

Designed and administered by the E Source Market Research team, the survey offers findings around: 

Consumer perceptions of electrification technologies: Over three-quarters of respondents believe that electricity is a safer home and appliance fuel source than natural gas, an increase from 2021. Despite shifting perceptions, cost remains a barrier to fuel-switching.Current ownership of electrification equipment: More respondents say they own electric equipment in 2024 compared to 2021, with electric cooktops and smart thermostats reported as the most common electric appliances.Readiness for adoption: While many respondents said they were unlikely to switch fuel sources for most home equipment, 27% expressed interest in taking steps to electrify all their appliances.

In other notable findings, positive perception of the term “all-electric home” increased from 40% in 2021 to 51% in 2024. Additionally, over one-third of respondents would prefer homes with only electric appliances when choosing their next residence, with 63% stating that gas appliances contribute to indoor air pollution, an increase from 51% in 2021.  

However, despite the growing interest in electrification, cost remains the largest barrier to fuel-switching, with 76% of respondents believing that switching fuel sources of any kind in their home appliances would be costly. 

Utilities today are navigating fast-paced technological advancements, transitioning to cleaner energy sources, managing tighter budgets, and looking to meet heightened customer expectations. A systematic and targeted approach to electrification is central to successfully addressing these challenges.

“Electrification holds tremendous potential along with risks. Utilities can realize that potential and mitigate the risks by understanding how to best engage their customers in the energy transition. With in-depth market research like our Residential Electrification Survey, utilities can understand perceptions of electrification to promote the value of new technologies based on customer needs, beliefs, and behaviors,” said Filomena Gogel, President of research and advisory at E Source.  

An overview of the insights is publicly available in a downloadable eBook here. Detailed findings are available in an industry report for members of the Distributed Energy Resource (DER) Strategy Service offered by E Source. 

About E Source 
E Source combines industry-leading research, data science, and consulting to help utilities make and implement better data-driven decisions that positively impact their customers, their bottom line, and our planet. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, E Source has teams across the US and Canada. Learn more at www.esource.com.

Media Contact:  
Adarsh Nalam, Director, Solutions Marketing and Communications  
adarsh_nalam@esource.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/positive-perception-of-term-all-electric-home-increases-12-percentage-points-in-recent-years-e-source-survey-finds-302306080.html

SOURCE E Source Companies LLC

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Ironclad Launches Jurist: an AI-Powered Assistant That Shows its Work

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The conversational AI assistant utilizes purpose-built multi-agent technology that works together to automate legal work, giving legal professionals a singular place to work with all the right tools and information in one seamless experience

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ironclad, the leading digital contracting platform for modern businesses, today announced the public launch of a new conversational AI legal assistant, Ironclad Jurist. Jurist allows legal professionals to draft, edit, review, summarize, translate, and answer questions related to modern contracting. Jurist is the only AI-powered assistant purpose-built for lawyers that lets users create and iterate on any legal document with past company precedent, benchmarks, and real-time changes in the legal space—all in an online, fully editable .docx workspace.

Jurist, built on Ironclad’s open-source visual programming platform Rivet, offers users unprecedented transparency into AI decision-making within a contract by displaying agent actions and reasoning, complete with citations in its online research mode. Leveraging industry-leading prompt routing, specialized legal prompt engineering, and a sophisticated retrieval automation generation (RAG) approach that harnesses multiple top-tier LLMs, Jurist is transforming the landscape of AI-assisted legal work.

“Jurist has already eliminated hours of manual review from our document review process. Its intuitive interface lets us easily define our own parameters, transforming tasks like NDA reviews into a streamlined workflow,” said Katelyn Canning, Director and Head of Legal at Ocrolus. “What truly sets it apart is its ability to select the most appropriate AI model for each task behind the scenes, delivering useful results without requiring us to craft intricate prompts. This combination of power and simplicity has made it an indispensable tool for our legal team.”

After a rigorous five-month beta, which included in-house legal teams at companies like Ocrolus and Signifyd, and leading law firms including Gunderson Dettmer, Jurist is now generally available. With Ironclad Jurist, users can:

Perform legal work in one central place: Jurist provides a new surface for lawyers to work with, iterate, draft, edit, research, and ask questions, all within a single environment. Users can directly edit AI outputs—and write prompts for specific sections of documents to fine-tune contract language—in a native .docx editor.Personalize AI outputs with past documents: Jurist produces personalized drafts, reviews, and edits based on the context users provide, including templates and executed agreements.Access the latest legal knowledge from verified online sources: Users can stay current with the ever-evolving legal landscape from the most reputable online legal research sources.Verify actions taken by your team of agents: Jurist explains its decisions in real time and cites sources when answering prompts, empowering users to use what they create with confidence.Work in a responsible, privacy-forward environment: Jurist does not allow companies like OpenAI or Google to retain or train on customer data. Ironclad provides customers with complete enterprise-grade security and holds numerous certifications, including several ISOs. Ironclad is also compliant with GDPR, HIPAA, and the SOC 2 Type II Security Trust Criteria. To learn more about Ironclad’s security certifications, click here.

“Legal is the perfect application for LLMs, because LLMs are exceptionally good at working with unstructured data – which is the lion’s share of the types of documents lawyers work with,” said Ironclad Chief Product Officer Michel Feaster. “We built Jurist to help bridge this gap, and wanted to create something that was congruent with the ways that lawyers are already working. Lawyers need to be able to edit in real-time in one place, or be able to ask questions about specific parts of a contract, or compare and edit groups of documents at the same time. And because Ironclad has been building technology for lawyers and optimizing contracts for 10 years, our AI agents are fine tuned to be best in class at legal editing.”

“Using Jurist has helped give us a singular workplace to drastically speed up many kinds of legal work,” said Zuhair Saadat, Contracts Manager at Signifyd. “For example, performing an MNDA review or drafting custom clauses for an order form typically takes an hour to a day. Using Jurist, we could do this in minutes—in some cases seconds—depending on complexity. If I need to edit the output, translate it, or ask a question about it, I can do that right in the product without leaving. It reduces time spent on these kinds of tasks, saves money on attorney fees, and gives me a leg up. Whatever I’m doing, I never have to start from scratch.”

“We’ve released Jurist as a standalone product, built on Ironclad architecture, because we feel this will benefit the entire legal community—whether they already use Ironclad or not,” said Ironclad President Jeremy Smith. “We are committed to enabling legal teams with the products they need to drive tangible business impact, and we believe Jurist will make a lasting impact on the future of the legal field.”

To learn more about Jurist and try it for yourself, click here.

About Ironclad
Ironclad is the #1 contract lifecycle management platform for innovative companies, powering billions of contracts every year. L’Oréal, OpenAI, and other leading innovators use Ironclad to collaborate and negotiate on contracts, accelerate contracting while maintaining compliance, and turn contracts into critical carriers of operational business intelligence. It’s the only platform flexible enough to handle every type of contract workflow, whether a sales agreement, an HR agreement or a complex NDA. The company is backed by leading investors like Accel, Sequoia, Franklin Templeton, Y Combinator, and BOND. For more information, visit www.ironcladapp.com or follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Media Contact:
Paul Chalker
paul.chalker@ironcladhq.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ironclad-launches-jurist-an-ai-powered-assistant-that-shows-its-work-302305858.html

SOURCE Ironclad Inc.

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Tom Atchison Honored as a Most Admired CEO by Denver Business Journal

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GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — National Corporate Housing is thrilled to announce that Tom Atchison, our esteemed Founder and Chief Executive Officer, has been honored with the Most Admired CEO Award by the Denver Business Journal. This prestigious award recognizes leaders in the Denver area who demonstrate exceptional leadership, vision, and community impact within their industries and beyond.

Under Tom’s visionary leadership, National Corporate Housing has achieved significant growth and success while maintaining a strong commitment to ethical business practices and a people-first culture. He has fostered an environment that prioritizes employee development, customer satisfaction, and industry-leading service.

“Tom exemplifies the highest standards of leadership, integrity, and Surprisingly Superior Service,” said Misty Gregarek, President of National Corporate Housing. “Part of what makes National so special is Tom’s incredible talent for identifying potential in people and providing them opportunities to excel. This recognition is a testament to his unwavering dedication to our company’s mission and to making a positive impact on our employees, customers, and the community.”

Tom was recognized along with 20 other executives Wednesday night at an award dinner at the Ritz Carlton in Denver. We congratulate Tom on this well-deserved honor and look forward to continued success under his exceptional leadership.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Heidi Hume, Vice President, Marketing
703-727-9124 | hhume@nationalcorporatehousing.com

About National Corporate Housing: At National, we turn complex temporary housing challenges into seamless solutions. As a global leader in customized corporate housing since 1999, we provide personalized, 360-degree services that ensure your employees feel at home, wherever they are in the world. With our extensive network and local expertise, we make the unfamiliar comfortable, delivering exceptional experiences that transform clients into lifelong partners.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tom-atchison-honored-as-a-most-admired-ceo-by-denver-business-journal-302306087.html

SOURCE NATIONAL CORPORATE HOUSING

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