The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is on the warpath against BT, pressurising the ISP into blocking a Usenet indexing website.
In the first legal action of its kind, the MPA has applied for an injunction that, if passed, would leave BT no option but to block its customers from viewing Newzbin - a Usenet indexing site that's now commonly used for piracy purposes.
BT has not only been targeted because it's the largest ISP in the UK, but also because it supplies a website-blocking system called Cleanfeed, which it has traditionally used to deal with websites hosting content relating to child sex abuse.
This isn't the first time Newzbin has been targeted either. The MPA began proceedings against it in 2010, shortly before the Usenet site went into administration. However, the site was then sold and has continued to run from the Seychelles.
In 2010, Newzbin was a member-only site boasting over 700,000 users and charging premium members a subscription cost of 30p a week.
BT has not commented further, other than confirming that it's appearing in court following an application for an injunction by members of the MPA.
Do you think BT should be forced to block access to sites such as Newzbin, or should organisations such as the MPA find other ways of dealing with illegal file sharing? Let us know your thoughts in the forums.
In the first legal action of its kind, the MPA has applied for an injunction that, if passed, would leave BT no option but to block its customers from viewing Newzbin - a Usenet indexing site that's now commonly used for piracy purposes.
BT has not only been targeted because it's the largest ISP in the UK, but also because it supplies a website-blocking system called Cleanfeed, which it has traditionally used to deal with websites hosting content relating to child sex abuse.
This isn't the first time Newzbin has been targeted either. The MPA began proceedings against it in 2010, shortly before the Usenet site went into administration. However, the site was then sold and has continued to run from the Seychelles.
In 2010, Newzbin was a member-only site boasting over 700,000 users and charging premium members a subscription cost of 30p a week.
BT has not commented further, other than confirming that it's appearing in court following an application for an injunction by members of the MPA.
Do you think BT should be forced to block access to sites such as Newzbin, or should organisations such as the MPA find other ways of dealing with illegal file sharing? Let us know your thoughts in the forums.
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