Peter Ratcliffe appointed BPI Director of Content Protection

21 November 2024 - Press release

Peter to lead BPI’s 16-strong Content Protection Unit, with the support of Niki Haywood, who is promoted to the role of Head of Operations

 

The BPI, the association for UK record companies and labels, this week welcomes Peter Ratcliffe, who has been appointed to the new role of Director of Content Protection.  Peter takes up his position today, 21^st November.

Peter Ratcliffe joins the BPI having just retired from The City of London Police following a distinguished 32-year career in various major roles, including management of the UK Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, and from 2017 as Detective Superintendent responsible for five national police units, including intellectual property crime, among other key areas of economic crime.

Reporting to BPI CEO, Dr. Jo Twist OBE, and working with the close support of Niki Haywood, who has been promoted to the role of Head of Operations (having most recently served as Co-Acting Head of Content Protection), Peter will now lead a 16-strong Content Protection Unit, including an investigations team. The CPU works alongside the BPI legal team and other BPI departments in tracking and tackling all forms of digital and physical piracy related to recorded music, and helping to reduce the damaging impact it has on artists and rightsholders, and on the music retail community and consumers.

Commenting as the BPI’s new Director of Content Protection, Peter Ratcliffe said:
“I’m delighted to have joined the BPI to direct its industry-leading Content Protection work. It’s a responsibility that I’m very proud to take on, because artists and the record companies who invest in them face ever-evolving IP infringement challenges. I can’t wait to start drawing on my experience from three decades with City of London Police, and addressing those challenges with the BPI’s ambitious, globally co-ordinated strategies, and safeguarding recorded music in the UK.”

Dr. Jo Twist OBE, BPI Chief Executive, said:
“We’re so pleased to welcome Peter to the BPI and to this important new role protecting the valuable content that our members and their brilliant artists create. He brings an unparalleled level of experience in tackling IP infringement, and will strengthen our Content Protection Unit in their excellent work at a pivotal time in the transformation of our industry, when human artistry needs more safeguarding than ever.”