MPA Hires FBI Official to Lead Antipiracy Fight

The Motion Picture Association announced that Larissa Knapp, most recently a high-ranking official at the FBI, has been hired to lead MPA‘s content protection mission, which includes fighting against online piracy worldwide.

In her new role as executive VP and chief content protection officer, Knapp will be responsible for driving expansion of the Association’s content protection operations, specifically the MPA’s online anti piracy organization, Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment. This will include broadening partnerships with law enforcement agencies around the world, expanding ACE’s membership base, and growing its operational footprint in key markets.

Knapp joins the MPA after 27 years with the FBI, most recently leading the bureau’s National Security Branch where she managed a budget of $300 million and a branch of over 2,000 personnel. Previously, she led the FBI’s security, training and human resources divisions and data analytics. Knapp started her FBI career as an agent handling intellectual property and cybercrimes.

“Larissa’s extraordinary background leading investigations teams across the world and successfully pursuing criminal cases will undoubtedly take ACE’s content protection efforts to a new peak of excellence,” said Charles Rivkin, chairman and CEO of the MPA. “With Larissa’s experience in high-risk, complex organizational environments coupled with her visionary leadership, I’m confident that our content protection enforcement business will only grow in stature and impact, as we safeguard the rights and productions of all those who conceive, develop, and deliver creative masterpieces for screens big and small.”

Based in Washington, Knapp will report to Karyn Temple, senior executive vp and global general counsel for the MPA. 

“I am honored to be part of such an iconic global organization that prioritizes the integrity of the creative economy, driven by ACE members’ groundbreaking films, TV series, and streaming content. These works represent some of the most influential and accessible forms of artistic expression, connecting creators with audiences on a profound level,” Knapp said. “My career in law enforcement has afforded me the opportunity to lead strategic initiatives protecting legal rights and addressing crime on a large scale, and I look forward to leveraging that experience in the fight against copyright infringement on behalf of our members and content creators around the world.”