Motion Picture Association asks Virgin and TalkTalk to block Newzbin 2

Rights holders continue assault on piracy web sites

Virgin Media and TalkTalk have both confirmed that they have been asked by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) to block access to the Newzbin 2 file-sharing web site.

The requests come after the MPA won a court order forcing BT to block access to the site under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, and underline the organisation's desire to extend the scope of the ruling.

TalkTalk, which is currently undertaking legal action against the Digital Economy Act alongside BT, said that it will "only block access to a web site if ordered to do so by a court".

"We have received a letter from the MPA asking whether we would object (in court) to an order for TalkTalk to block access to Newzbin," the company said.

"We are considering our position since there are some objectionable elements to the proposed injunction."

A spokesperson for Virgin Media said that it too will adhere to the request only if forced to do so, but reiterated that such measures are not a foolproof way of fighting piracy.

"The recent Newzbin 2 ruling clarifies the legal process for content owners to challenge alleged copyright infringement," the spokesperson said.

"As a responsible ISP we will comply with any court order addressed to us, but we strongly believe such deterrents need to be accompanied by compelling legal alternatives which give consumers access to content at the right price."

Rights holders have tried to take advantage of the precedent set by the Newzbin 2 ruling by asking BT to voluntarily block The Pirate Bay web site.

BT said that it will block access only if forced to do so, in line with the original judgement, as the two industries continue to view each another with hostility in the debate over how to combat online piracy and file sharing.