The Asia Video Industry Association has appointed Matthew Cheetham as General Manager of the Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) with immediate effect.

As the General Manager of CAP, Cheetham will take over from Aaron Herps and build on the accomplishments achieved by CAP to create a stronger and healthier environment in which the video industry can prosper.

Over the last four years, CAP has made real inroads into the systemic problems of video piracy faced by the broadcast and streaming video industry in the Asia Pacific.

The blocking of pirate sites is becoming more common in many markets, laws have been introduced to limit access to infringing set-top devices, constructive relationships have been forged with intermediaries to limit access to pirate services and investigations and prosecutions have been affected. And, yet the problem remains the single biggest impediment to the growth of the legitimate content creation industry and ecosystem, the AVIA said in a statement.

Cheetham is a qualified lawyer specializing in intellectual property, more specifically copyrights protection, with over 20 years of experience working in Asia-Pacific for some of the largest content producers in the world.

Prior to this, Cheetham was the Premier League’s Head of Business Affairs, Asia Pacific, where he opened and headed the Premier League’s APAC office in Singapore, the Premier League’s first office outside the UK, and oversaw all enforcement, policy and outreach efforts for the Premier League in APAC.

Cheetham spent ten years as the Motion Picture Association’s (MPA) Regional Legal Counsel and Assistant Policy Officer for APAC following which he was the Managing Director of the MPA’s New Zealand office, the New Zealand Screen Association (NZSA), which oversaw all enforcement, policy and outreach efforts for MPA member companies in New Zealand.

Commenting on the appointment Louis Boswell, Chief Executive Officer, AVIA said, “CAP is critically important to AVIA and the industry as a whole and I am delighted that in Matt we have such a seasoned and experienced executive taking over. Matt will bring his ideas and energy to the role and I am confident CAP and the industry’s anti-piracy efforts will grow in strength under him”.