ISPs can now be made to block offending websites

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beIN Sports has announced a victory against piracy in France, with new legislation introduced to combat the issue.

The decision sees that under the new Article L. 333-10 of the Sports Code, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will block offending sites and addresses. Users of these platforms will thus unable to access illegal live broadcasts.

Following this decision, Arcom (Audiovisual and Digital Communication Regulatory Authority) will now have the power to request ISPs to block any new site - identified as of the decision - that illegally retransmits live. This measure aims to significantly reduce the volume of fraudulent signals.

The move comes after several warnings from beIN Media Group CEO Yousef Al-Obaidly on the importance of piracy. 

Caroline Guenneteau, deputy general secretary of beIN Media Group, said: “beIN Sports welcomes the speed of the procedure and the diligence with which the blocking measures were put in place. This first ever court decision is the culmination of years of work and fight against piracy led by beIN Media Group and beIN Sports France, in order to protect the intellectual property of broadcasters and rights holders, and to preserve the sports ecosystem.

“It is a concrete sign of the entry into force of the new legal mechanism aimed at simplifying and accelerating the blocking and inaccessibility of fraudulent sites and/or addresses broadcasting illegal content via streaming or IPTV. This major step in the history of the fight against piracy marks a symbolic turning point and gives a strong signal to all the players concerned.

“The objective from now on will be to determine, in consultation with all the stakeholders and Arcom, the modalities that will allow us to optimise, in the coming weeks, the timeframe for the application of blocking measures for identified sites and possible mirror sites.”