A major report on blocking as an effective legal remedy against online piracy was presented at a February meeting of the Advisory Committee on Enforcement, which held by the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva.
The report contains a host of references to successful blocking regimes, progress reports for countries that have piracy blocking regulations in place, and site blocking research. It was co-authored by executives of the Danish Rights Alliance, Italy’s communiations regulator AGCOM, and a former Director of the Coalition for Online Accountability.
Legal foundation for blocking
Blocking orders have become an effective tool for anti-piracy and for enforcing copyright regulations across different countries and legal systems. Close cooperation with internet service providers is essential in limiting access to illegal content and promoting the use of legal services.
In December 2024, a years-long court case established that the production and recordings of sports events can be protected under copyright law and can therefore be enforced and safeguarded through the Danish blocking system.
Looking beyond Europe, blocking orders also play a crucial role in combating illegal live content. In India, courts have confirmed that existing copyright laws provide a strong legal foundation for blocking illegal websites. Meanwhile, in Uruguay, the government has introduced a special law to strengthen efforts against illegal live streams.
Effectiveness of blocking
The report references a Danish anti-piracy model, which combines blocking and “nudging” user behavior through standardized landing pages that the user sees when blocking occurs, is probably the most developed one within the European Union. On average this model prevents 74 per cent of traffic to illegal sites and is used by all Danish ISPs.
Denmark was the first country to introduce website blocking and was also early in introducing awareness activities in combination with blocking. From the site-blocking landing page, users are directed from the blocking message to a search function called FilmFinder, where they can type the title of a movie or television series and be directed to the legal services offering that content.
New member
The same week, the Danish Rights Alliance announced that the Danish football league became a new member of the organization, focusing on transmissions of illegal live sports.
Further reading
Study on the effectiveness and the legal and technical means of implementing website-blocking orders. Report. February 4, 2025. Prepared by Mrs. Maria Fredenslund, Attorney-at-law and Director at the Danish Rights Alliance (RettighedsAlliancen), Mr. Graziano Giannini, PhD and Advisor at the Italian Communications Regulatory Authority (AGCOM) and Mr. Dean Marks, Attorney-at-law and Emeritus Director of the Coalition for Online Accountability. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Together against illegal streaming: The Danish League joins the Rights Alliance. Press release. February 6, 2025. Rettighedsalliancen (Danish Rights Alliance)
Danish court rules that live sports can be protected under copyright in Denmark. Article. December 19, 2024. by Steven Hawley. Piracy Monitor
Why it matters
The Rights Alliance has solid experience in how blocking measures can be used to protect rights and combat the illegal distribution of content on digital platforms. By participating in the WIPO conference, the Rights Alliance has the opportunity to share its expertise with an international audience and contribute to a broader understanding of how blocking can be effectively and legally implemented. This knowledge can benefit other countries in their efforts to improve rights protection.
This ruling represented a significant milestone both in Denmark and internationally, as it was the first European case in which a court has determined that sports events can be protected by copyright.
France has also placed great emphasis on using blocking measures to protect rights holders from the illegal distribution of live content, such as sports broadcasts. In December 2024, the French authority ARCOM released a groundbreaking report showing that blocking illegal live content, such as links to live football matches, has led to a 41% decrease in consumption of such content since its peak in 2021.
