The music industry has been busy getting some new web-blocks in place this week, with the French record industry securing an injunction from the courts in Paris ordering internet service providers and search engines to block 40 domains. Meanwhile the Italian industry has welcomed the blocking of a number of stream-ripping sites within the country.
In Italy web-blocking orders can be secured against copyright infringing websites via communications regulator AGCOM. This time it was anti-piracy group FPM that requested the web-blocks, with its General Secretary Luca Vespignani commending the regulator for performing its role in the fight against online infringement “quickly and effectively”.
FPM says that it focused on stream-ripping sites - which allow people to download permanent copies of temporary streams - because the use of such services is the “most widespread form” of online music piracy, accounting for 30% of infringing activity online. And while stream-ripping sites have been a key piracy gripe of the music industry for some time now, FPM says the use of these services is growing, up 10% in the first quarter of this year.
A study by the European Union’s Intellectual Property Office last year actually reported that the use of stream-ripping sites across Europe has been in decline in recent years. However, global record industry trade group IFPI’s annual music consumption report still lists it as the most prevalent form of online music piracy.
The new web-blocking order in France has been secured by record industry collecting society SCPP. According to l'informs, it covers various piracy services, including torrent and unlicensed download sites, with domains associated with Cpasbien, Torrent9 and Zone-Annuaire among those to be blocked.
Web-blocking is an anti-piracy tactic of choice for the music industry in those countries where blocking orders are available under relevant copyright laws. These orders command ISPs, search engines and other internet companies to block access to targeted sites. Generally ISPs and search engines comply, although other kinds of internet companies, like VPNs and DNS resolvers, still often try to appeal web-blocking rulings through the courts.
The effectiveness of web-blocking has been frequently debated, given people who regularly use piracy sites will usually know how to circumvent any blocks. However, copyright owners generally reckon that anything that makes accessing unlicensed content trickier is a good thing.