Internet Companies May Be Forced To Block Torrent Websites From Today Onwards

The Federal Court will today decide whether it will order internet companies to block customers from accessing copyright-infringing websites, like The Pirate Bay.

Update: The Federal Court has ordered internet companies to block five copyright-infringing websites, including torrent website The Pirate Bay. Internet companies now have 15 days to implement the blocks.

The original story is as follows.

Decisions will be made about how the sites would actually be blocked and who should pay for it, reports the ABC.

Foxtel and Village Roadshow lodged applications in the Federal Court to have five different copyright-infringing websites blocked. These include: IsoHunt, The Pirate Bay, Torrentz, TorrentHound and SolarMovie.

There are some doubts around how internet providers like Telstra, Optus and TPG will realistically block the blacklisted websites. Torrent websites are notoriously difficult to block, as they regularly appear at different web addresses through mirrors and proxies.

Copyright holders think internet providers should bear the brunt of costs when implementing these site blocks. Earlier in June lawyers for the internet companies argued against this arrangement, claiming that they are innocent parties in the debate around piracy.

How much would it actually cost to block a website? Optus estimates the task would cost $12,500 to carry out and maintain. Telstra puts the figure at $1,500, while TPG said it would cost around $3,000 in total.

The face when you need to figure out an action plan before the next season of Game of Thrones airs.

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