New Move by S’pore Court Means Piracy Websites in S’pore Would Be History Soon Liao

By
Zhi Hao
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Now, as a Singaporean, I believe in one thing.

Free stuff.

And indeed, I try to cut corners everywhere, whether it be abusing online food deals, buying discounted clothes, watching free movies online and even cutting the edges off my paperwork just to set a literal example. It’s in my blood, and I’m not keen on a blood transfusion anytime soon, thank you very much.

However, it seems that the Singapore court doesn’t quite think the same. The Singapore court, reputable as it sounds, believes in justice. And while online food deals, discounted clothes and paper cuts are well within the reaches of reason-ability, the fourth one isn’t.

And in their move to crack down on the Johnny Depps of movies, once and for all, it has implemented Singapore’s first ever dynamic injunction, which dictates that…

Studios no longer have to go to court to block new piracy websites from popping up. Just show the proof, and voila, your Internet Service Provider is now blocking the site.

Image: Giphy

Yes, folks.

I guess you just have to start looking for movie deals instead.

A little elaboration you never asked for

Lest you’re unaware, just earlier this year, the court ordered a ban on 53 piracy sites (via ISP) following a major piracy crackdown in Singapore. You can learn more about that here.

But much like cockroaches, these websites refused to submit to their less-than-complimentary fate. And as every Internet nerd out there will know, Internet domain sites can change names like how Leonardo DiCaprio changes girlfriends.

Swift and fast.

So as you can kind of tell, it’s kind of easy for them to escape the long, stingy arms of Justice.

And considering how studios had to go through way more effort in an attempt to block the new sites out, it’s really, for lack of a better phrase, not working out for all parties involves.

Except for the pirates, of course.

But as I mentioned earlier on, that’s all set to change.

Court order

Under the new order, the copyright owners, which include the likes of Disney, Paramount Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, will no longer have to go to court to attack new domain sites affiliated with the legendary 53. 

Instead, they simply have to show proof that it’s a piracy site, and the local Internet service providers will be required to block the new domain names.

But of course, there will be an anti-abuse clause in effect: the Internet service providers “need not disable access to these (piracy websites)” if there are “insufficient grounds” to do so, or when there’s not enough evidence.

While consumers might disagree, lawyers agreed that the dynamic injunction, which is the provision of a “practical means of ensuring the continued effectiveness of the original injunction”, was a step in the right direction for copyright owners.

“End-users/ consumers who consume infringing content would find this latest development frustrating because online sources of infringing content can be shut off more effectively and it would be more difficult for them to get pirated content online,” Ms Elaine Lew of Dentons Rodyk & Davidson said.

Well, Ms Lew, as much as I hate to admit it… you’re right.

But hey, there are other ways to circumvent such laws, as tight as they might be. After all, as a Wise Old Man once said:

“When there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Web-hosting Companies Can Remove Contents Just As Fast

Lest you’re not aware, if an individual post a copyrighted content on their website, the web-hosting company can assist to take it down without having to go to court as well. This is known to the digital peers as DMCA takedown, and while it’s commonly used in the US, it’s also usually implemented worldwide.

But of course, the problem is that these pirates might be using their own server, or host their contents in unethical web-hosting companies that won’t follow the rules.

Piracy

We get it. As content creators, we would hate for people to take our hard work and present it as theirs, and subsequently absorb the revenue that was originally meant for us. We get it. 

As such, we empathise with the movie studios out there, and while I hate to admit it, this law might really be a step in the right direction.

As such, I shall just end off with my signature initials.

NPV.

You’re welcome 🙂

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Zhi Hao
Email: [email protected]