Blocking Order Relief For Intellectual Property Rights Holders

For over a decade, the courts in the UK have, through their case law, been developing and adapting website blocking orders (WBOs) - a form of injunctive relief - as a means of combatting infringements of intellectual property rights. WBOs require internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to websites hosting infringing material. The principles have been developed in cases addressing infringements of copyright and trademark rights, but potentially have broader application. WBOs are an effective and useful tool for rights holders seeking to enforce intellectual property rights in the context of the online world.

WBOs have been ordered against a broad range of infringing platforms, from websites displaying counterfeit goods, to live sport streams. Recently, in Young Turks v BT¹ a WBO was awarded for the first time in respect of a 'stream ripping' site - a site enabling third parties to circumvent technological protection measures (TPMs) employed by legitimate