The CEA has warmly welcomed today’s High Court ruling which will require BT to block Internet access to the copyright-infringing Newzbin2 website.
In publishing his findings on the case, which was heard in the High Court on 28 and 29 June, Mr Justice Arnold made clear that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can be required to prevent or impede subscriber access to websites that are focused on infringing copright and that the process for achieving the blocking of such websites can be stream-lined and cost-effective.
The case was brought by six major US studios which comprise the Motion Picture Association against BT, requesting that they invoke Section 97A of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to secure direct action by BT to block the pirate website Newzbin2, which distributes content without permission on a commercial basis.
Welcoming today’s judgment, CEA Chief Executive Phil Clapp said:
‘By any measure, this is an excellent result not so much for the MPA and its members, but for the thousands of people across the UK who depend on the film industry for their livelihoods. It confirms unequivocally that the ISPs must play their full part in tackling online distribution of illegal film content. And it is a key step forward in establishing a regulatory framework inside which legitimate services can flourish.”
Read more of the background to the case and details on the court judgment click British and Irish Legal Information Institute website.