BT forced to block file-sharing website

updated on 02 August 2011

A landmark High Court judgment has ruled that BT must block access to illegal file-sharing website Newzbin2; a website accused of operating "on a grand scale" by the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

The MPA, which brought the case on behalf of its members (eg, Warner Bros, Fox, Disney and Paramount Pictures), told the Guardian that Newzbin2 receives more than £1 million a year from its 700,000 users who pay for copies of television programmes and films. MPA managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa Chris Marcich told the paper: "This ruling from Justice Arnold is a victory for millions of people working in the UK creative industries and demonstrates that the law of the land must apply online. This court action was never an attack on internet service providers (ISPs), but we do need their cooperation to deal with the Newzbin2 site, which continually tries to evade the law and judicial sanction."

UK creative industries are hoping that the ruling will help them in their fight against digital piracy by setting a precedent for the widespread blocking of illegal file-sharing websites by ISPs.