The Game Rating and Administration Committee, known as the GRAC, said on Aug. 3 it was responding to illegal private servers and illegal programs online and announced its first-half results.

The GRAC said 32,930, or 70.7 percent, of its 46,531 administrative actions in the first half of this year focused on eradicating illegal private servers and illegal programs. It said it blocked 1,450 illegal private servers during the period and expanded requests for investigations to 49, up 14 cases from a year earlier.

The GRAC has been operating a comprehensive joint response system with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism since February to eradicate illegal private servers. Key tasks include introducing rapid blocking procedures for illegal sites, research on legal revisions, expanding requests for investigations and strengthening blocking networks through cooperation with content delivery network (CDN) operators.

The GRAC said it is also supporting efforts to recover damage to the game industry from illegal activities alongside requests for investigations. It said it provided rights holders with information on 5 rulings related to illegal private servers last year to help them file civil lawsuits, and that in some recent cases, damages lawsuits brought by rights holders won at first instance. The GRAC said it plans to gradually expand its support system to protect the rights and interests of the game industry and help recover losses.

GRAC Chairman Tae-geon Seo (서태건) said it has worked closely with the competent ministry since the start of this year to establish a comprehensive response system to eradicate illegal private servers and has been pushing it strongly. He said if a revision to the Game Industry Promotion Act, which includes measures to strengthen punishment for illegal private servers and was recently proposed in the National Assembly, is passed, deterrence against illegal acts will be further strengthened and there will be greater momentum for policies aimed at fostering a sound game ecosystem and protecting the game industry.