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ARTICLE · 05 SEPTEMBER 2011

UK High Court orders ISP to block access to file-sharing site

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UK High Court forces BT to block access to a file-sharing website.

AustraliaMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
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In the first decision of its kind in the United Kingdom, the England and Wales High Court (EWHC) in July forced BT, the UK's largest Internet Service Provider (ISP), to block its customers from accessing a file sharing website because the ISP was found to have 'actual knowledge' of customers accessing the website to infringe the copyright of film and television studios. The outcome stands in contrast to a recent decision of the full bench of the Federal Court of Australia which ruled that an ISP was not liable for copyright infringements caused by its customers using 'BitTorrent' technology to illegally download films and television shows.

The UK Decision

The case, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp & Ors v British Telecommunications Plc [2011] EWHC 1981 (Ch), was brought to the EWHC by the combined force of Twentieth Century Fox, Universal, Warner Brothers, Disney, Paramount and Columbia (the studios) seeking an injunction under s 97A of the Copyright, Designs and

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