55 Nations Have Site-Blocking Laws: Will the U.S. Join Them?

U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren has proposed a new law that would allow copyright owners to get court orders to block access to foreign piracy websites. This bill would also require DNS providers to block these sites. Lofgren, who has worked with the tech, film, and television industries for over a year, believes this proposal targets overseas copyright infringers without disrupting the free Internet. The Motion Picture Association’s CEO, Charles Rivkin, supports the bill, noting that over 55 countries, including Canada, the UK, and Australia, have similar laws that reduce piracy while protecting consumer access to legal content. However, consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge warns that this could lead to widespread censorship and turn broadband providers into copyright police. They argue that instead of addressing the source of piracy, this bill might create a system prone to abuse, potentially allowing one court to block a website globally based on a single filing.

Source: arstechnica.com