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30 April 2012 Last updated at 14:56 GMT. BBC UK
The Pirate Bay must be blocked by UK ISPs, court rules
The Pirate Bay is hosted in Sweden, where it has an active supporter base
File-sharing site The Pirate Bay must be blocked by UK internet service providers, the High Court has ruled.
The Swedish website hosts links to download mostly-pirated free music and video.
Sky, Everything Everywhere, TalkTalk, O2 and Virgin Media must all prevent their users from accessing the site.
"Sites like The Pirate Bay destroy jobs in the UK and undermine investment in new British artists," the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) said.
The BPI's chief executive Geoff Taylor said: "The High Court has confirmed that The Pirate Bay infringes copyright on a massive scale.
"Its operators line their pockets by commercially exploiting music and other creative works without paying a penny to the people who created them.
"This is wrong - musicians, sound engineers and video editors deserve to be paid for their work just like everyone else."
'Compelling alternatives'
In November 2011, the BPI asked the group of ISPs to voluntarily block access to the site.
The request followed a court order to block Newzbin 2, a site also offering links to download pirated material.
The ISPs said they would not block the site unless a court order was made, as is now the case.
Virgin Media told the BBC they will now comply with the request, but warned such measures are, in the long term, only part of the solution.
"As a responsible ISP, Virgin Media complies with court orders addressed to the company but strongly believes that changing consumer behaviour to tackle copyright infringement also needs compelling legal alternatives, such as our agreement with Spotify, to give consumers access to great content at the right price."
The Pirate Bay was launched in 2003 by a group of friends from Sweden and rapidly became one of the most famous file-sharing sites on the web.
It allows users to search for and access copyrighted content including movies, games and TV shows.
No 'extra pennies' In April 2009, the Swedish courts found the four founders of the site guilty of helping people circumvent copyright controls.
The ruling was upheld after an appeal in 2010, but the site continues to function.
The Pirate Party UK, a spin-off from the political movement started in Sweden that backs copyright reform, said this latest move will "not put any extra pennies into the pockets of artists".
"Unfortunately, the move to order blocking on The Pirate Bay comes as no surprise," party leader Loz Kaye told the BBC.
"The truth is that we are on a slippery slope towards internet censorship here in the United Kingdom."
Related
27 March 2012, BBC UK
Microsoft Windows Messenger blocks The Pirate Bay links
Microsoft would not discuss whether it plans to block other torrent sites' links
Links to The Pirate Bay's website are being blocked from appearing within Windows Live Messenger.
Microsoft confirmed it was enforcing the ban in its instant messaging program.
The software firm signalled that it had acted to combat malware.
The Pirate Bay claims to be the world's "largest bittorrent tracker", offering users the ability to download illegal copies of films, music and software.
However, it also hosts magnetic links to lawfully available material - such as music uploaded by unsigned bands - which is also subject to the block.
'Symbolic'
Users who attempt to add The Pirate Bay links to their messages prompt a warning saying that:
"The link you tried to send was blocked because it was reported as unsafe."
A statement from Microsoft sent to the BBC said:
Mark Mulligan Media Industry Blog
The firm would not comment on whether it planned to block links from other torrent sites.
Mark Mulligan, editor of the Media Industry Blog, said the move might be intended to be symbolic.
"What is underpinning Microsoft's thinking is that it wants its instant messaging platform to appear safe," he said.
"But The Pirate Bay is just one of a myriad of torrent link sites on the web. If Microsoft is serious about this it will also be researching and blocking all the others sites as well."
The news is the latest setback for The Pirate Bay. Earlier this month a Swedish company which hosts the site's web address said it had been contacted by the country's Prosecution Authority and police for information about the organisation.
The move prompted speculation that the authorities might be seeking to shut the site down, following an earlier court case that found its original administrators guilty of helping people circumvent copyright controls.
Users in the UK may also face a wider ban later this year.
The High Court plans to announce in June whether internet service providers should block access to the site. It has already ruled that the organisation facilitates copyright infringement.
Several ISPs have already been ordered to implement similar measures against another filesharing site - Newzbin 2.
The Pirate Bay must be blocked by UK ISPs, court rules
The Pirate Bay is hosted in Sweden, where it has an active supporter base
File-sharing site The Pirate Bay must be blocked by UK internet service providers, the High Court has ruled.
The Swedish website hosts links to download mostly-pirated free music and video.
Sky, Everything Everywhere, TalkTalk, O2 and Virgin Media must all prevent their users from accessing the site.
"Sites like The Pirate Bay destroy jobs in the UK and undermine investment in new British artists," the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) said.
The BPI's chief executive Geoff Taylor said: "The High Court has confirmed that The Pirate Bay infringes copyright on a massive scale.
"Its operators line their pockets by commercially exploiting music and other creative works without paying a penny to the people who created them.
"This is wrong - musicians, sound engineers and video editors deserve to be paid for their work just like everyone else."
'Compelling alternatives'
In November 2011, the BPI asked the group of ISPs to voluntarily block access to the site.
The request followed a court order to block Newzbin 2, a site also offering links to download pirated material.
The ISPs said they would not block the site unless a court order was made, as is now the case.
Virgin Media told the BBC they will now comply with the request, but warned such measures are, in the long term, only part of the solution.
"As a responsible ISP, Virgin Media complies with court orders addressed to the company but strongly believes that changing consumer behaviour to tackle copyright infringement also needs compelling legal alternatives, such as our agreement with Spotify, to give consumers access to great content at the right price."
The Pirate Bay was launched in 2003 by a group of friends from Sweden and rapidly became one of the most famous file-sharing sites on the web.
It allows users to search for and access copyrighted content including movies, games and TV shows.
No 'extra pennies' In April 2009, the Swedish courts found the four founders of the site guilty of helping people circumvent copyright controls.
The ruling was upheld after an appeal in 2010, but the site continues to function.
The Pirate Party UK, a spin-off from the political movement started in Sweden that backs copyright reform, said this latest move will "not put any extra pennies into the pockets of artists".
"Unfortunately, the move to order blocking on The Pirate Bay comes as no surprise," party leader Loz Kaye told the BBC.
"The truth is that we are on a slippery slope towards internet censorship here in the United Kingdom."
Related
27 March 2012, BBC UK
Microsoft Windows Messenger blocks The Pirate Bay links
Microsoft would not discuss whether it plans to block other torrent sites' links
Links to The Pirate Bay's website are being blocked from appearing within Windows Live Messenger.
Microsoft confirmed it was enforcing the ban in its instant messaging program.
The software firm signalled that it had acted to combat malware.
The Pirate Bay claims to be the world's "largest bittorrent tracker", offering users the ability to download illegal copies of films, music and software.
However, it also hosts magnetic links to lawfully available material - such as music uploaded by unsigned bands - which is also subject to the block.
'Symbolic'
Users who attempt to add The Pirate Bay links to their messages prompt a warning saying that:
"The link you tried to send was blocked because it was reported as unsafe."
A statement from Microsoft sent to the BBC said:
Start Quote
If Microsoft is serious about this it will also be researching and blocking all the others sites as well
End Quote
Mark Mulligan Media Industry Blog
The firm would not comment on whether it planned to block links from other torrent sites.
Mark Mulligan, editor of the Media Industry Blog, said the move might be intended to be symbolic.
"What is underpinning Microsoft's thinking is that it wants its instant messaging platform to appear safe," he said.
"But The Pirate Bay is just one of a myriad of torrent link sites on the web. If Microsoft is serious about this it will also be researching and blocking all the others sites as well."
The news is the latest setback for The Pirate Bay. Earlier this month a Swedish company which hosts the site's web address said it had been contacted by the country's Prosecution Authority and police for information about the organisation.
The move prompted speculation that the authorities might be seeking to shut the site down, following an earlier court case that found its original administrators guilty of helping people circumvent copyright controls.
Users in the UK may also face a wider ban later this year.
The High Court plans to announce in June whether internet service providers should block access to the site. It has already ruled that the organisation facilitates copyright infringement.
Several ISPs have already been ordered to implement similar measures against another filesharing site - Newzbin 2.
