IFPI Digital Music Report 2014
"Actions by ISPs have become a widely-accepted and effective way of curbing piracy online. Increasingly common is the blocking of websites that make available infringing content. In recent years, courts in 10 EU countries have ordered ISPs to block users’ access to specific services that structurally infringe copyright law. Courts and authorities in other countries including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, South Korea and Turkey have made similar orders. On the legislative front, in 2013, Norway adopted new website blocking legislation and Italy became the first country in Europe where an administrative body — the Italian communications authority AGCOM — is empowered to authorise website blocking.
Despite misrepresentation by some anti-copyright campaigners, courts have consistently found that the blocking of sites providing illegal content achieves an appropriate balance of fundamental rights. In November 2013, the Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Union said that website blocking is available under EU law.
Website blocking measures implemented by ISPs have been effective. Between January 2012 and July 2013, European countries where blocking orders are in place saw BitTorrent use decline by 11 per cent, while European countries without such orders saw BitTorrent use increase by 15 per cent (comScore/Nielsen). The effect was especially pronounced in two countries, Italy and the UK, where the highest number of illegal services have been blocked. In Italy, BitTorrent traffic declined by 13 per cent in 2013 and in the UK BitTorrent traffic declined by 20 per cent over the same period. The industry believes that website blocking is an effective tool to help tackle digital piracy and should be available in more countries worldwide. It also needs to be extended to cover mobile networks."
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