English High Court blocks e-book infringing websites

The English High Court has ordered five internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to seven websites that were accused of distributing unauthorised copies of e-books.

On May 26, the Publishers Association confirmed in a statement that a blocking order has been applied to the websites. All five ISPs—BT, Virgin Media, Sky, TalkTalk and EE—are required to comply with the blocking order within ten days.

In its request to the court, the association claimed that the seven websites offered around ten million e-books between them and that the websites have generated revenues from digital advertising.

According to the association, almost one million take-down requests had been submitted to the websites before the blocking order was implemented.

The association was supported by authors' rights group the Association of American Publishers.

Richard Mollet, chief executive of the Publishers Association, said: “We are very pleased that the court has granted the order and, in doing so, recognises the damage being inflicted on UK publishers and authors by these infringing websites,” he added.

None of the websites or the other four ISPs had responded to TBO’s request for comment at the time of publication.