UK cable operator Virgin Media has blocked the Newzbin (Newzbin2) Internet piracy website, which provides links to pirated films and music, following an order by a court.
The operator’s move ends the long and prolonged legal clash between the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and Internet service providers (ISP) in the UK.
Virgin Media said the company has received an order from the courts requiring it to prevent access to Newzbin to assist protect against copyright infringement.
"As a responsible ISP, Virgin Media complies with court orders addressed to us, but we strongly believe that changing consumer behaviour to tackle copyright infringement also needs compelling legal alternatives to give consumers access to great content at theright price," the company said.
The Newzbin news follows the news of Google, which revealed that the site will be tackling the problem of online piracy by reducing search rankings of sites that frequently receive content record notices.
Virgin Media and other ISPs have also blocked admittance to The Pirate Bay after receiving court orders from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), which is the music industry trade body.
The UK government is also planning to design a voluntary code of practice among the ISPs and Rights Holder, which would outline the court process and facilitate Rights Holders to oblige similar restrictions across a much larger number of websites and ISPs, expected to be implemented by 2015.
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