Music Industry Wants Pirate Site Blockades in More Countries

[NelsonG]

[img]http://torrentfreak.com/images/stop-blocked.jpg[/img]In recent years blockades of “pirate” websites have spread across Europe and elsewhere. In the UK, for example, [url="http://torrentfreak.com/megashare-viooz-watch32-zmovie-blocked-140311/"]more than 30 websites[/url] are currently blocked by the major ISPs per court order.

Opponents of this censorship route often warn that the measures inhibit free speech and risk overblocking. However, music industry group IFPI disagrees, pointing out that the rights of creators to protect their work trump these concerns.

“Despite misrepresentation by some anti-copyright campaigners, courts have consistently found that the blocking of sites providing illegal content achieves an appropriate balance of fundamental rights,” IFPI writes in its latest [url="http://www.ifpi.org/digital-music-report.php"]Digital Music Report[/url].

IFPI points out that the ISP blockades in several European countries are having effect. Drawing on information supplied by data intelligence firms comScore and Nielsen, they report that “BitTorrent usage” decreased 11 percent in countries where pirate sites are censored, while it increased elsewhere.

“Website blocking measures implemented by ISPs have been effective. Between January 2012 and July 2013, European countries where blocking orders are in place saw BitTorrent use decline by 11 per cent, while European countries without such orders saw BitTorrent use increase by 15 per cent.”



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