Under blockade
BT has become the first ISP in the UK ordered to block access to a website, on the grounds the site is known to provide links to pirated material. The judgment comes from the High Court, and is the result of a case brought by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) against BT.
The website in question, Newzbin 2, curates links to content found on Usenet, much of which infringes on the copyright of companies represented by the MPA. According to the MPA, BT is fully aware that Newsbin2 is used to infringe copyright and that many of its subscribers access the website, meaning BT should be required to block access on those grounds.
The MPA says that that it has no qualm with BT specifically, but rather only with the activity carried out on its network. Chris Marcich, president and managing director of MPA Europe, stated: "This court action was never an attack on ISPs but we do need their co-operation to deal with the Newzbin site which continually tries to evade the law and judicial sanction. Newzbin is a notorious pirate website which makes hundreds of thousands of copyrighted products available without permission and with no regard for the law."
BT will be using its Clearfield technology, currently used to block websites suspected of hosting content depicting sexual abuse of children, to filter out Newzbin. Given the ease of circumventing such filters, and the availability of numerous other similar websites, it's unclear what impact this one block will have. However, as the MPA also intends to pursue similar cases against further ISPs, it will no doubt be encouraged by this ruling as it is likely to lead to success in compelling others to take similar action against websites encouraging, and aiding, piracy.
