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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Premier League seeks ISP site block in piracy swoop | Premier League seeks ISP site block in piracy swoop |
| (1 day later) | |
| The Premier League is to request a court order forcing internet service providers to block a popular football streaming website before the next season. | The Premier League is to request a court order forcing internet service providers to block a popular football streaming website before the next season. |
| The League wants ISPs to cut off access to FirstRow1.eu, which operates from Sweden. | The League wants ISPs to cut off access to FirstRow1.eu, which operates from Sweden. |
| The BBC understands none of the ISPs plans to challenge the court order. | |
| If successful, the action will be the first sport-related site block in the UK. | If successful, the action will be the first sport-related site block in the UK. |
| The Premier League's move follows a precedent set by the BPI music industry body, which has been successful in having several piracy websites blocked in the UK, most notably the Pirate Bay. | The Premier League's move follows a precedent set by the BPI music industry body, which has been successful in having several piracy websites blocked in the UK, most notably the Pirate Bay. |
| In those cases, ISPs have stood firm and insisted they would only take action if ordered to do so by the courts. | In those cases, ISPs have stood firm and insisted they would only take action if ordered to do so by the courts. |
| The UK's major ISPs each received a letter from the Premier League outlining a possible court order, and were given a deadline of Friday to signal any intent to challenge the action. | The UK's major ISPs each received a letter from the Premier League outlining a possible court order, and were given a deadline of Friday to signal any intent to challenge the action. |
| When approached by the BBC, none of the ISPs would comment specifically on the Premier League's planned action, but all reiterated that blocking of sites would not be done voluntarily. | When approached by the BBC, none of the ISPs would comment specifically on the Premier League's planned action, but all reiterated that blocking of sites would not be done voluntarily. |
| 'Conflicts of interest' | 'Conflicts of interest' |
| The situation raises additional issues for BT, as from next season it will be a major distributor of Premier League football through its new sports TV channels. | The situation raises additional issues for BT, as from next season it will be a major distributor of Premier League football through its new sports TV channels. |
| BT has paid £246m for rights to show Premier League football, while Sky paid £760m for its portion of the coverage. | BT has paid £246m for rights to show Premier League football, while Sky paid £760m for its portion of the coverage. |
| Sky's ISP operation has historically been seen as taking a more sympathetic stance with copyright holders requesting the blocking of sites, whereas BT has in the past taken such battles to court on behalf of the ISP industry as a whole. | Sky's ISP operation has historically been seen as taking a more sympathetic stance with copyright holders requesting the blocking of sites, whereas BT has in the past taken such battles to court on behalf of the ISP industry as a whole. |
| Jim Killock, of the Open Rights Group, said he worried that conflicted interests might lead to the blocking process becoming less transparent. | Jim Killock, of the Open Rights Group, said he worried that conflicted interests might lead to the blocking process becoming less transparent. |
| "All of the major ISPs now have differing degrees of conflicts of interest," he told the BBC. | "All of the major ISPs now have differing degrees of conflicts of interest," he told the BBC. |
| "Sky, BT, Virgin and TalkTalk all supply televisions services now, so we have to expect that there will be more reluctance to be as transparent as they have been in the past." | "Sky, BT, Virgin and TalkTalk all supply televisions services now, so we have to expect that there will be more reluctance to be as transparent as they have been in the past." |
| Mr Killock also expressed concern that as the process for granting court orders gets quicker, it may lead to sites being wrongly blocked out. | Mr Killock also expressed concern that as the process for granting court orders gets quicker, it may lead to sites being wrongly blocked out. |
| "It's possible that very legitimate services will at some point be attacked by one of these orders. | "It's possible that very legitimate services will at some point be attacked by one of these orders. |
| "Our main concern here is that these orders should be considered slowly, and they should be subject to much more public review." | "Our main concern here is that these orders should be considered slowly, and they should be subject to much more public review." |
| FirstRow1.eu did not respond to the BBC's request for comment. | FirstRow1.eu did not respond to the BBC's request for comment. |