WPP's GroupM unit just unveiled a new digital media buying policy to prevent its clients' ads from appearing on Web sites that distribute illegally obtained, or "pirated," content.
The agency
said the policy is designed to throw some Madison Avenue weight behind the fight to prevent online piracy in all its forms and to protect the copyright-protected, intellectual property of all
content-producing companies.
The policy includes anti-piracy language for insertion orders that prohibits vendors from placing GroupM clients' ads on sites that support piracy or contain any
illegally distributed content.
"Effective immediately, the language will be built into all future contract terms and conditions with publishers and ad networks," the agency said in a statement
released to the media.
GroupM said it has created a list of more than 2,000 sites throughout the U.S. that have been identified as containing or supporting pirated content. The list will be
updated on a continuing basis and a link to the list will be included in all contracts and insertion orders.