UPDATE Big UK ISPs Start Blocking the Movie2k and Download4All Sites

Internet providers BT, Sky Broadband and Virgin Media have confirmed that their broadband customers will shortly find themselves unable to access the Download4All and Movie2k websites after a court order issued in late April 2013 forced both to be censored over copyright infringement (piracy). More ISPs are set to follow.

The news follows shortly after PPL, a music licensing firm, revealed a new list of 25 website domains that the British Phonographic Industry (UK music industry) wanted to see banned by all of the UK’s largest broadband providers (here). So far no voluntary requests to ISPs or court cases have been started but recent history suggests that this could be inevitable.

However Recombu reports that the two sites listed above, which don’t appear on the PPL’s list, are to be blocked as part of a separate case trigged by the Motion Picture Association. As usual the MPA is believed to have used the same Section 97A of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act to win its restrictions.

A BT Spokesperson said:

“The block on Download4All and Movie2k should start at some point today. This is in addition to Newzbin, Pirate Bay, Fenopy, H33t and [Kickass Torrents] which BT’s already blocking access to in compliance with previous court orders.”

A VirginMedia Spokesperson said:

“We and all other large ISPs received an order from the courts earlier this month requiring us to prevent access to the Download4all and Movie2k websites. As a responsible ISP, we operate within the clear, legal framework put in place to protect against copyright infringement and we continue to comply with court orders addressed to us.”

So far none of the markets other major ISPs, specifically TalkTalk, Virgin Media, Sky Broadband (O2) and EE, appear able to confirm whether or not they too will need to comply with the ruling. This suggests that they may not yet have received a court order, although it’s highly likely that the MPA will eventually pursue them too.

UPDATE 5:49pm

Sky Broadband, O2, EE and Virgin Media have now received a court order requesting that the two sites be blocked.