After a Decade, Film Studios Urge Lawmakers to Take Up Site-Blocking Legislation

Summary

• MPA proposes that lawmakers block piracy sites upon request.
• The hearing occurred before the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.
• Currently, there is no bill for site blocking on the table, and, likely, Congress won’t take any action.

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) represents major US film studios and Netflix, ensuring the viability of the American film industry. In the past, they had requested lawmakers to introduce a law that would block piracy sites.

The last primary legislation on this topic, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), was proposed over a decade ago. However, the bill faced significant opposition from internet providers and the public, eventually leading to its rejection and not being passed.

This time, they are urging the same legislation to the court, and here’s everything you need to know.

A top executive of the Motion Picture Association (MPA) urged lawmakers to pass legislation for site-blocking piracy sites. The hearing occurred before the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.

The MPA proposes legislation requiring internet providers and third-party intermediaries to block access to piracy sites upon request from content companies. No site-blocking legislation is currently being discussed.

Court-ordered site-blocking legislation is already available in countries like the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Spain, Denmark, and Singapore.

Karyn A. Temple, the MPA’s senior executive vice president and global general counsel, explained that the no-fault injunctions would not involve suing the infringing sites but asking the internet service providers and other intermediaries to restrict access actively.

Currently, there is no bill for site blocking on the table. In the world of D.C. lobbying, Congress will likely not take any action.

In the aftermath of SOPA, the MPA and other content groups retreated from lobbying for primary anti-piracy legislation and instead sought cooperative agreements with internet providers, payment processors, and advertisers.

Source: Deadline