Village Roadshow wants to sue pirates, block 40 piracy sites
The Aussie film distributor is not one to pull its punches on piracy, but this year it's got an aggressive five-point plan to tackle the problem (and it's got its eyes on you).
- Webby Award Winner (Best Video Host, 2021), Webby Nominee (Podcasts, 2021), Gold Telly (Documentary Series, 2021), Silver Telly (Video Writing, 2021), W3 Award (Best Host, 2020), Australian IT Journalism Awards (Best Journalist, Best News Journalist 2017)
Village Roadshow has a big plan to stop piracy this year, and one of its goals could have a massive impact on you.
The Aussie film distributor has announced plans to go after individual pirates this year, saying it will start "suing infringers" as part of an aggressive five-point anti-piracy program.
But the company isn't just going after internet users. After successfully petitioning to block Australians from accessing The Pirate Bay, the company has also revealed it will try to block a further 40 websites this year, targeting "90 percent of the flow" of copyright-infringing content.
As well as suing internet users and chasing site-blocks, Roadshow's plan also includes "Google take-downs and site ranking demotions," a "major PR campaign" and a commitment to "availability of legal product."
That last point may rankle some Australians, who are currently going through a month-and-a-half-long wait to see one of Roadshow's new films "The Lego Batman Movie" after the distributor made the decision to release the film in Australia 48 days after the US.
Village, which has long been an outspoken industry voice on the state of piracy in Australia, spent a good part of 2016 in the Federal Court as part of a petition by rights holders to get Australian internet service providers to block sites including The Pirate Bay and Solar Movie.
Success on this case has opened the door for more blocks under Australia's site-blocking legislation, and with many of the legal questions sorted out in the Pirate Bay case, it could be a quicker process for the 40 sites Roadshow is targeting.
But if you're a regular torrenter, it's unclear how the company plans on coming after you.
The major piracy case brought by the producers of "Dallas Buyers Club" showed us that rights holders will have difficulty compelling ISPs to reveal the personal details of customers accused of piracy. The judge in that case refused to release details of iiNet customers to match to IP addresses found torrenting the film.
Either way, 2017 looks set to be a busy year on the piracy front once again.
Solving for XX: The industry seeks to overcome outdated ideas about "women in tech."
Special Reports: All of CNET's most in-depth features in one easy spot.