A UK court decision forcing BT to block access to movie download site Newzbin 2 will open the floodgates to all parties with a grievance over copyright infringement, a director of European fiber operator Interoute claims.
Lee Myall believes the ruling will eventually lead to internet service providers (ISPs) being inundated with copyright infringement claims that they may not be able to comply with as illegal file sharing sites constantly change IP addresses to avoid closure.
The landmark ruling was issued yesterday by the UK’s High Court following a complaint by the Motion Picture Association of America.
“This ruling is a slippery slope for ISPs,” Myall states, adding that service providers “have now become fair game for anyone with an issue regarding content on the internet.”
The Interoute director predicts the decision will lead to a “tug of war between artists and ISPs,” and states it is ultimately unenforceable without the agreement of the UK’s other leading ISPs, which is a “mammoth task.”
Despite Myall’s view, BT actually welcomed the decision, noting it will clarify the action that ISPs can take to protect artist’s copyright. The firm will head back to court in October to thrash out how to enforce the ruling, the BBC reports.
US ISPs have already agreed a common framework for handling copyright infringement that crucially allows ISPs to take action without cutting consumers off from the Web. However, the plan has been criticized for leaving the option to ban users on the table.