ISRAEL: Pirates of the high speeds

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Temporarily eclipsed by modernity, maritime escapades are making a comeback. Geopolitical issues such as Somalia, Iran and the Palestinians are troubling the waters where politics and opportunism meet. Pirates are currently holding more than 15 ships with hundreds of crew members, boats have tried to break the Gaza Strip blockade by sea, Israel is fighting naval gun-running to Gaza and was even taken to the U.N. by Libya on piracy charges for intercepting a ship carrying aid to Gaza.

Jews may not have been a classic seafaring people after scattering beyond the Mediterranean, although there are interesting studies, and thar even be tales of Jewish pirates. These days, besides keeping tabs on arms ships, Israel keeps barbed wire around its own liners to fend off pirates and its maritime security teams aboard others, such as the ones who fought off an attempted takeover of an Italian cruise ship between Somalia and the Seychelles last month.

But Internet piracy in Israel is a jolly practice indeed. When it comes to music, films and software, Israelis are downloading and burning like there’s no tomorrow.

Very high penetration rates of broadband Internet, a relatively young population and a generally Western cultural orientation combine to favor an army of digital pirates that make the latest movies, music and TV series nearly immediately available. Once lagging at least a year behind in cinemas and a season back in TV series, Israelis are now up on their Americana. Local “House M.D.” and “Lost” addicts are up to speed with U.S. viewers on the latest episodes, perhaps a few hours longer if they hold out for the Hebrew translation and subtitles prepared by groups of teenagers who volunteer semi-professional translation and syncing, regarding it as a genuine public service.

In 2007, the piracy levels for music and records in Israel reached 50%. Business software piracy levels for 2008 remain steady at 32% -- a significant decrease from the past but still causing an estimated $72 million trade loss that year. Current figures for motion picture piracy aren’t available, but suffice it to say that the ongoing decline in ticket sales is threatening to close one-third of the country’s cinemas and that around 300 movie rental businesses have folded in the last two years.

A recent special report by the International Intellectual Property Alliance recommends that Israel remain on its 2009 watch list, pointing out that insufficient local legislation and enforcement (only 30 police officers assigned to handle all kinds of intellectual property infringement in 2008) were inadequate in combating increasing Internet piracy in Israel. The report also noted an evident “disinclination” to take serious measures.

Israel has, in fact, made progress with intellectual property legislation. But not enough to satisfy the United States trade representative, who will also keep Israel on the priority watch list due to concerns of inadequate protection in the field of pharmaceutical innovation.

-- Batsheva Sobelman in Jerusalem