Kolkata court orders ISPs to block music pirating sites

[kbar1]

...
A Kolkata court has ordered all 387 Internet providers in the country to block a list of 104 websites after the Indian Music Industry (IMI) filed suit against them. Indian Music Industry officials filed information with the court showing that each of the 104 sites hosted at least some infringing material; the judges ruled that site blocking was a proper way of dealing with the issue.
...
IMI officials have insisted to local media that they are targeting only the worst offenders, saying that they began their process with 300 websites and eventually narrowed it down to 104 of the most flagrant infringers.
...
The first list of 104 sites largely focuses on regional music; it includes sites like apunkabollywood.com, bollywoodmp4.com, and lovepaki.com. IMI promises that its next targets will include more general-purpose file-sharing sites, however.

Source: [arstechnica.com].

My views:

While their anti-piracy stand (finally!) is commendable, the plans to target general file sharing sites, along with recent government proposals to censor Google and Facebook, will have serious implications regarding civil liberties, and (I think) can be considered as authoritarianism.

First of all, the site owners weren't informed. They weren't given a chance to respond to the court order, or to challenge it. This is NOT how the judiciary is supposed to work.

Does the Kolkata court have the authority to decide on pan-India matters?

 

[Faun]

Retarded move.

 

[Extreme Gamer]

Does the Kolkata court have the authority to decide on pan-India matters?

High court (dont think so). Local court (f*** no).

My ISP hasn't blocked

Not that I care about bollywood music anyway.

 

[coderunknown]

Not that I care about bollywood music anyway.

most file sharing sites (even torrents) share music illegally.

 

[thetechfreak]

Like always it wont be implemented. Orders like these will be taken seriously only if High Court or Supreme Court makes.

 

[paroh]

Actually blocking of site is other issue but DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) is more serious issue as it violates the privacy of a user.

Using DPI makes it "theoretically possible" to read the content of mail traffic

for more information of DPI
*howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57381346-285/how-to-use-vpn-to-defeat-deep-packet-inspection/

 

[sukesh1090]

if i have to say things should be like this.people have to download the song and if they like it they should buy them.but if you don't allow them to see if they like the song or not and force them to buy it and if they don't like it.then this is also a type of piracy.hell lot of people go to theaters when a movie is released and most of the times what they get to see is just BS.people simply spent their money for nothing.then this is also a type of piracy.

 

[kbar1]

Actually blocking of site is other issue but DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) is more serious issue as it violates the privacy of a user.

Using DPI makes it "theoretically possible" to read the content of mail traffic

AFAIK, DPI is used by Iran and China (not great lovers of personal freedom), as well as by the U.S. for warrantless spying. It's also used by ISPs (in U.S./U.K.) for identifying and throttling bittorrent traffic. The most dangerous part is, it can also be used to alter info for disinformation purposes. That is worse than full censorship, because you can't say which is true and which is not.

 

[gopi_vbboy]

oh man so is bsnl goin to block all fs/torrent sites...

 

[Renny]

Are the other members able to access isohunt from BSNL?

 

[Extreme Gamer]

most file sharing sites (even torrents) share music illegally.

And your point is?

I said I don't care- i.e. I don't listen to Bollywood music, so even if implemented, it doesn't affect me.

 

[whitestar_999]

district courts can give verdict on any case irrespective of location/geographical nature of the case.there is no such rule that pan-India issues need supreme court/high court verdicts only.in fact unless it is related to fundamental rights or specifically mentioned that appeal must be made in high court/supreme court(like administrative tribunal judgements)no case should be filed directly in supreme court/high court unless it is to challenge a lower court's verdict.

ISP's will simply challenge the verdict in kolkata HC/same district court & most probably it will be reversed just like delhi local/district court reversed its decision about google/facebook.

 

[sumonpathak]

his point is that even the torrents can get blocked..

district courts can give verdict on any case irrespective of location/geographical nature of the case.there is no such rule that pan-India issues need supreme court/high court verdicts only.in fact unless it is related to fundamental rights or specifically mentioned that appeal must be made in high court/supreme court(like administrative tribunal judgements)no case should be filed directly in supreme court/high court unless it is to challenge a lower court's verdict.

ISP's will simply challenge the verdict in kolkata HC/same district court & most probably it will be reversed just like delhi local/district court reversed its decision about google/facebook.

the decision is bound to get reversed...its totally against the FR

 

[whitestar_999]

this really isn't a fundamental rights issue.it is simply a "right/wrong way of implementing a law" issue.piracy is wrong but this measure to fight it is also not correct.

fundamental rights are in a different league altogether.issues such as internet restrictions are not even close to FR.

 

[sumonpathak]

this really isn't a fundamental rights issue.it is simply a "right/wrong way of implementing a law" issue.piracy is wrong but this measure to fight it is also not correct.

fundamental rights are in a different league altogether.issues such as internet restrictions are not even close to FR.

this is close to a FR issue...anywhoo...since the matter is still subjudis its meaningless to discuss it...
the measures to fight it are almost infringing the FR's.

 

[Extreme Gamer]

We do not have the "fundamental right of freedom to access to all websites on the interwebs".

 

[Krow]

Please stay on topic guys. It's a censorship issue.

I wonder why they are unable to crack down all illegal CD/DVD vendors spread across the country. Blocking websites will hardly solve the problem.

 

[whitestar_999]

I wonder why they are unable to crack down all illegal CD/DVD vendors spread across the country. Blocking websites will hardly solve the problem.

it is not when a rickshaw puller rents a vcd/dvd/cd for Rs.10-15 that matters to companies but when someone running Radeon 6850/core i/phenom II/... downloads a movie/song with a monthly internet plan of ~500 & above.

 

[kbar1]

Its partially the fault of the content providers as well. They haven't promoted legal ways of downloading music aggressively. Heck, most people don't find anything wrong in downloading music from those shady sites. Also, the vast majority won't pay for music just like that. Do you think a rickshaw puller will pay 9 bucks (how is another topic altogether) for a single track? BTW, that's the price per track for most Bollywood numbers in Flipkart's Flyte service.

There are ways to get around this kind of censorship, as the source article pointed out. However, most of the "casual" pirates will be discouraged. Then, I think, Bollywood will hit a brick wall because not many people are listening to their "item songs" any more...

 

[Anorion]

meh
physically downloading mp3s is soo old fashioned, something on its way out anyway, - its just a clumsy way of handling data.... if courts are suppressing it its a good thing
donno why ppl nid songs.pk when there are sites/services like saavn... as easy and you can get anything without the hassle of actually downloading it