Studios win copyright action

They had urged a judge in London to grant an order which would force BT to cut off or impede customers’ access to a website accused of “flagrant” copyright infringement.

Mr Justice Arnold, giving his reserved ruling in the case following a hearing last month, announced: “I will make an order substantially in the form sought by the studios.”

Major studios, including Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount Pictures Corporation and Disney Enterprises brought the proceedings over the Newzbin2 website, which has about 700,000 members.

The action, brought on behalf of members of the Motion Picture Association of America, is believed to be the first in the UK to try to force an internet provider to block a site under the 1988 Copyright, Design and Patents Act.

Consumer Focus later said blocking sites only treat the symptoms of copyright infringment, not the cause.