Web blocking - CMU | the music business explained

US music creators welcome latest proposal for web-blocking, which big tech dubs “a tool for censorship”

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Web blocking • 3 min read

US music creators welcome latest proposal for web-blocking, which big tech dubs “a tool for censorship”

More proposals were made last week to introduce web-blocking as an anti-piracy tool for copyright owners under US law. Music creators have welcomed the proposals, called the Block BEARD Act, but big tech says web-blocks are “a dangerous mechanism” that will result in legitimate content being blocked…

Chris Cooke • 04 Aug 2025

US ISPs demand piracy immunity in exchange for implementing web blocking

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Web blocking • 4 min read

US ISPs demand piracy immunity in exchange for implementing web blocking

Proposals to introduce web-blocking as an anti-piracy tactic in the US have been introduced in Congress this year. It will be much easier to make those proposals law if the ISPs could be persuaded to back the web-blocks. That could as yet happen, but the ISPs seemingly want something in return…

Chris Cooke • 21 May 2025

OpenDNS goes offline in Belgium in response to web-blocking order secured by Access Industries owned sports platform DAZ

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OpenDNS • 2 min read

OpenDNS goes offline in Belgium in response to web-blocking order secured by Access Industries owned sports platform DAZ

Cisco has pulled its OpenDNS service in Belgium after sports platform DAZN secured an injunction ordering it to block 130 piracy domains. Copyright owners are increasingly targeting DNS resolvers with web-blocking orders - OpenDNS previously shutdown in France following legal action by Canal+…

Chris Cooke • 17 Apr 2025

Congress member proposes web blocking to protect copyright’s “$2 trillion” impact on US economy

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International Intellectual Property Alliance • 3 min read

Congress member proposes web blocking to protect copyright’s “$2 trillion” impact on US economy

US Congress member Zoe Lofgren has proposed a new law that would make web-blocking available as an anti-piracy tactic in the US for the first time, to better protect the American copyright industries, which a new report says now make a $2 trillion contribution to the US economy…

Chris Cooke • 04 Feb 2025

Movie producers and publishers want US to implement web-blocking to halt piracy

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Web blocking • 2 min read

Movie producers and publishers want US to implement web-blocking to halt piracy

Web-blocking is an anti-piracy tactic of choice for the music industry, but is not an option under US copyright law. The copyright industries would like that to change, and some optimism was expressed last week at an Anti-Piracy Symposium that web-blocking will be available in the US at some point…

Chris Cooke • 28 Jan 2025

Internet companies say anti-piracy web-blocks “can fragment the global internet”

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Piracy • 3 min read

Internet companies say anti-piracy web-blocks “can fragment the global internet”

Web-blocking is an anti-piracy tactic of choice for the music industry with music companies now seeking web-blocks against DNS resolvers as well as ISPs. This move has been criticised by a group of internet companies in a submission to the US government, which say it “fragments the global internet”…

Chris Cooke • 31 Oct 2024