461 illegal download apps and 11 websites — a record haul for a single anti-music piracy operation in Brazil. The apps generated more than 10.2 million downloads.
The biggest risk for the music industry from digital piracy, Batimarchi says, is “losing the connection between artist and fan” because of fraud schemes. “There are people dedicated to this [illegal activity] that don’t have any connection to the music market.” Since July of 2021, when Operation 404 started to work with IFPI, it has taken down more than 500 downloading apps.
Operation 404 — a federal program involving civil police agencies from around Brazil — is separate from, an anti-piracy initiative coordinated by the São Paulo police’s CyberGaeco unit, which is focused on websites peddling fake music streams, often bundled with packages promising to boost users’ social media audiences.