The BPI has confirmed that the High Court will extend its order to block music pirate websites and apps to mobile networks. The block previously applied only to users of fixed line broadband, in a move to protect consumers and benefit rightsholders. Artists, songwriters, music publishers and record companies suffer annual piracy losses of £200 million.
Since 2011, BPI has secured multiple High Court judgments and Orders against the UK’s four biggest broadband providers – the BT group, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media – blocking over 70 sites and apps that infringe on music copyright, as well as thousands of related sites. The mobile block will begin with EE, part of the BT group, which already blocks the targeted sites on its fixed line networks.
Speaking on the ban, BPI general counsel Kiaron Whitehead says, ‘Mobile data connections are faster and more reliable than ever, and a quarter of people now connect to the internet over 3G, 4G and 5G rather than broadband and wi-fi. That growth brings with it the risk of increased music piracy. The operators of these pirate sites make millions of pounds a year, without a penny going to the creators of the music they exploit. We are therefore pleased that EE – which was the first mobile network to launch 5G to the UK population – has now become the first mobile network to block pirate sites which are subject to our High Court blocking Orders under section 97A of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.’
