Danish Internet service providers have recently reached an agreement with the leading anti-piracy group. As a result, Rights Alliance will now need to obtain a single pirate site blocking order against one broadband provider, and all other ISPs will voluntarily block the same site.
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In regard to the pirate website blockades, Denmark is a kind of a pioneer. Eight years ago, the IFPI launched a lawsuit, where a court ordered one of the local ISPs to block Russian MP3 website. Another case was initiated by the music group back in 2008, and resulted in blockade of The Pirate Bay. Then, 3 years ago, the music industry was trying to expand its list of blocked domains by making anti-piracy group Rights Alliance attack Grooveshark streaming service via the courts. Later, the coalition of 30 copyright owners won the case in which Grooveshark took no part.

However, the problem is that although the content industries can now obtain blocking injunctions against “notorious” websites, each action could only target a specific service provider. In other words, even if an injunction was issued against one broadband provider, its rivals were not obliged to comply. Now everything changed.

The telecom industry in Denmark has signed a Code of Conduct that would force all ISPs to put blockades in place. According to the agreement, when a court issues an injunction against a single Internet service provider and orders it to block the pirate website, all other broadband providers will voluntarily start a similar blockade.

Of course, the Rights Alliance was pleased with the agreement, because it will help the anti-piracy group to more easily block pirate websites at the level of broadband providers. According to the newly signed Code of Conduct, Internet service providers will block domains within a few days of another ISP being issued with an injunction.

Danish Minister for Culture said that it is important for copyright owners to have tools at their disposal to fight will illegal use of their creative works. It must be noted that the Code of Conduct will also allow for expanded blocking in the case of the pirate website moving to new IP addresses or domains. The good news is that the agreement also states that in case of a wrongful blocking due to copyright holder’s mistake, the copyright owners will be liable to the Internet service provider for any financial costs incurred.