The High Court has ordered broadband providers, including TalkTalk, BT, Virgin Media and Sky, to restrict access to pirate-friendly streaming sites following a complaint from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPA). In its complaint, filed in December, MPA said that it had been unable to find any evidence that pirate websites were being blocked by ISPs or content providers because they did not want their customers accessing them. Initially the MPA went direct to providers to request they block access to sites such as Putlocker and Couchtuner, but such requests are often refused due to the cost of doing so and lack of compelling legal reason, however, the firms do need to comply with a court order. According to ISP Review, an unopposed application to block can cost as much as £14,000 per site plus around £3,600 a year to maintain the block.
The High Court has ordered broadband providers, including TalkTalk, BT, Virgin Media and Sky, to restrict access to pirate-friendly streaming sites following a complaint from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPA). The MPA has asserted that the sites were facilitating copyright infringement by allowing people to watch TV and movies without paying. Initially the MPA went direct to providers to request they block access to sites such as Putlocker and Couchtuner, but such requests are often refused due to the cost of doing so and lack of compelling legal reason, however, the firms do need to comply with a court order. According to ISP Review, an unopposed application to block can cost as much as £14,000 per site plus around £3,600 a year to maintain the block.