Why users in the UK face trouble streaming illegally right now

KODI and Pirate Bay users that are having trouble accessing illegal add-on streams or torrent downloads in the UK may now know why.

Kodi add-on and Pirate Bay fans based in Britain may have found out why it’s difficult to access illegal content online at the moment.

A study has revealed that the UK is the country in Europe with the highest rate of blocks on sites and domains that give access to pirated content.

Motion Picture Association Canada (MPA) conducted the new piece of research which analysed the scale of pirate-site blocking around the world.

The research found that at least 42 countries are obligated to block infringing websites.

It also found in Europe alone 1,800 sites and 5,300 domains are inaccessible to online pirates.

The countries in Europe that are leading the way with pirate site blocking is the UK, Portugal, Italy and Denmark, TorrentFreak reported.

The study said: “Over the last decade, at least 42 countries have either adopted and implemented, or are legally obligated to adopt and implement, measures to ensure that ISPs take steps to disable access to copyright infringing websites, including throughout the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, and South Korea.”

The study revealed that the UK blocks 171 sites and 2,215 domains that offer access to pirated content.

In comparison, Australia blocks 91 sites and 355 domains while South Korea blocks 460 sites and 547 domains.

Another major blocking nation in Europe is Denmark, which blocks 71 sites and 797 domains.

Whereas Italy blocks 703 sites and 836 domains and Portugal blocks 827 sites and 1,035 domains.

All countries have their own unique set of legislation regarding pirate site blocking.

However, nations in the EU are covered by the requirements of Article 8.3 of the INFOSEC Directive.

This states that: “Member States shall ensure that right holders are in a position to apply for an injunction against intermediaries whose services are used by a third party to infringe a copyright or related right.”

Not all EU countries are actively blocking sites, unlike the UK.

Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia can all legally block infringing pirate sites.

However, none of these nations have done so yet.

The MPA Canada study added: “To date, in at least 17 European countries, over 1,800 infringing sites and over 5,300 domains utilised by such sites have been blocked, including in the following four countries where the positive impact of site-blocking over time has been demonstrated”.

Authorities can block sites via two different means - through the courts or by going through an administrative process.

Site blocks in the UK and Denmark are obtained by the former, in Italy and Portugal it’s the latter.

MPA Canada also published a list of ‘notorious’ sites that have been blocked in multiple countries.

These sites are The Pirate Bay, Putlocker, raring, 1337x, ExtraTorrent, EZTV, KickAssTorrents and Isohunt.

The Pirate Bay is the world’s most popular torrent download portal, with it long being dubbed “the galaxy’s most resilient BitTorrent site.”

Such a reputation means The Pirate Bay is perpetually in the crosshairs of anti-piracy organisations as well as copyright holders.

Kodi illegal add-ons are another hugely popular way pirates access copyrighted content.

Kodi software is not illegal itself, but developers can produce third-party add-ons that provides free access to pirated and illegal content.

These apps allow users to stream premium content, like paid-for sports and movie channels for free.

And it’s these illegal add-ons that have been targeted by ISPs, government agencies, broadcasters and rights holders.