// Home / News / Broadband

Sky blocks Newzbin over copyright claim

By Nicole Kobie

Posted on 16 Dec 2011 at 17:57

Sky is the latest ISP to block the Newzbin 2 site over piracy claims.

Earlier this year, BT was ordered by the courts to block the site using its CleanFeed technology - normally used to block child pornography - after a complaint from the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

Following the BT court order, the rights holder group had asked other ISPs to block the site, but so far they have required court orders of their own.

"We have received a court order requiring us to block access to this illegal website, which we did on 13 December, 2011," Sky said in a statement on its website. "Moving forward, as and when clear and legally robust evidence of copyright theft is presented, we will take appropriate action in respect to site blocking, which will include complying with court orders."

Virgin Media and TalkTalk, the other two large ISPs in the UK, said they would comply with a court order to block the site, but had yet to receive one.

"We are not in principle against blocking, provided a court decides. We have received no such order in respect of Newzbin," a spokeswoman for TalkTalk told the BBC.

Subscribe to PC Pro magazine. We'll give you 3 issues for £1 plus a free gift - click here

From around the web

User comments

All hail the Great Firewall of Britain.

:(

By PiRat on 17 Dec 2011

Go away sdfgdsfg

By curiousclive on 18 Dec 2011

funny

how the fastest ISP (virgin media) is being asked to do this last. Plus if you don't want people to visit the site, make it illegal to visit it, and/or use any method of accessing it. If anybody was serious about piracy, much harsher methods would have been created to stop it. This is why it gives the impression to everyone that Piracy is not a crime to worry about, like speeding, as long as you get away with it....(Get it)

By mobilegnet on 19 Dec 2011

More bad news

Censorship, like discrimination, can never be a positive thing.
Arbitrarily censoring the internet to ensure the financial monopoly of a corporate interest is certainly a bad thing.
The music and more particularly the film industry have continually refused to join the 21st century and offer what people want at a sensible price. Instead they charge outrageous prices then blame piracy after the fact, to excuse their greed.
Why shouldn't I be able to legitimately download any TV series from any country after it's first aired for a small fee (£1-2) an episode advert free, or free with regional ads inserted?
Many TV series cancelled (at great expense) due to poor viewing figures would still be on air if this were the case.
I downloaded FireFly (how else could I see it) and finally was able to buy it on BluRay last year, although I had to travel to the USA to do so.
How many people would be going to the cinema instead of downloading from the likes of NewzBin if cinema tickets were not £10 a pop and popcorn+drink close to £6?

By cheysuli on 19 Dec 2011

Leave a comment

You need to Login or Register to comment.