Eircom has confirmed that the company will block access to the website the PirateBay.org, its related domain names, IP addresses and URLs from September 1st. Broadband customers of Eircom who attempt to access the Pirate Bay website from this time will be denied entry.
The move follows an application made in July by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) which secured an order from the High Court directing eircom to block access to the Pirate Bay website and its related domain names, IP address and URLs. The blocking of access to the website is indefinite however, should the Pirate Bay website content be legitimised in the future, eircom will apply to the High Court to have the order vacated.
In making the order, requiring eircom to block access to the PirateBay website, the High Court was satisfied that the website is dedicated to facilitating the illegal downloading of copyrighted material without the permission of the copyright owners. In a statement Eircom said it recognised the legitimate rights of the owners of copyrighted material and believes that individuals who share or download copyrighted material without the authorisation or the permission of the owner of that content are acting illegally.
The statement added that eircom would not monitor customers’ activities at any stage, nor will it place any monitoring equipment or software on its network in order to facilitate this block.
The telecoms operator added that it would not provide personal details or any information relating to customers to any third party, including the record companies. Eircom has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the four major labels EMI, Universal, Warner and Sony to develop an innovative new music service for all Irish consumers, which is expected to launch in the next few months.
