In what could be called the next round of crisis PR in an attempt to save its international reputation, 1+1 Media announced yesterday that it has officially become a member of the International Format Recognition and Protection Association (FRAPA).

‘From now on, the media holding will receive additional protection of its intellectual property at the international level and, as an authorized member of FRAPA, will have access to a number of services related to defending the rights of member companies, including format registration, study and expert opinions on possible plagiarism, creation of a format bible, consultations on market valuation, etc.,’ the media holding said in its press release.

The announcement probably raised some eyebrows at Media Group Ukraine (MGU) which is currently suing 1+1 for copying The Masked Singer format which it holds the rights to for the territory of Ukraine. CEETV reminds that earlier Fremantle and MGU jointly asked FRAPA to evaluate the similarities between the Korean format and 1+1’s production Masquerade and the international organization said the two shows are 73% similar. This happened in the beginning of November. Back then, 1+1 argued that according to FRAPA a show must be 80% similar in order to be regarded a copycat and declared that they will make no changes to their show which according to FRAPA uses elements found in The Masked Singer and not in The Mysteries in the Spotlight – the format which 1+1 ‘adapted’.

In yesterday’s press release, 1+1 made no reference to the ongoing lawsuit, but stressed the importance of ‘fair play’. “FRAPA members and management include reputable broadcasters, formatters, distributors, producers and other members of the media industry from around the world. The membership of the Ukrainian media holding in the association, which guards the rules of fair play among broadcasters around the world, gives us hope that the Ukrainian TV industry will reach a new stage of development and establish itself in the international arena. As a company that adheres to the principles of fair competition and mutual respect among all Ukrainian and global market players, as well as fights piracy at all levels, we would like the 1+1 media experience to be useful to other companies. Although the organization’s decisions are not statutory, FRAPA membership gives its members many advantages and opportunities related to copyright,” said Yaroslav Pakholchuk, CEO of 1+1 Media.

The final paragraph in the group’s release is also interesting: “The special feature and main difference between FRAPA and classical legal organizations is that the association seeks to resolve any disputes among mediators through pre-trial settlement, offers mediation services and primarily appeals to moral standards. The activities of the association extend beyond its active members: FRAPA has been working with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for several years, acting as a pre-trial advisor on copyright issues.”

Does this suggest that 1+1 is trying to find a settlement with MGU thru FRAPA? Or is the 1+1 management hoping that this maneuver will help save its international reputation?

CEETV reminds that earlier the group’s General Producer left the channel. Some sources suggest that Viktoria Shulzhenko was most likely released by CEO Yaroslav Pakholchuk in order to make amends with MGU on the local ground. And now the FRAPA move is a message directed towards the international partners, meaning “we have learned our lesson”? Only time will tell.

On the other hand, another question is also hidden behind this - what does this imply about FRAPA? Is it okay to continue copying formats while being a member of this organization? And how will FRAPA ‘influence’ 1+1 in the right direction in recognizing the copyrights of The Masked Singer format?