Since then, Village Roadshow, Foxtel and the recording industry have lodged numerous actions to block sites which started with famous sites like The Pirate Bay. In 2017, a joint-investigation by Foxtel and the Australian Federal Police led to the conviction of one Sydney man for providing the pay TV service free to 8000 people, for which he was given an 18-month suspended sentence.

Village Roadshow, Foxtel, major Hollywood movie and record studios – such as Warner Bros, Paramount, Universal, Disney and Fox – have been part of co-ordinated efforts to block websites to make sure they aren't targeting the same sites.

"The court order represents a victory for Village Roadshow and the broader Australian film sector. It’s also testament to the bipartisan backing the tougher anti-piracy laws received from the Parliament, with both the government and opposition recognising the threat piracy presents. As a nation, if Australia does not continue to take up the case against piracy, our local film industry and all the jobs, tax revenue and cultural benefits that come with it will be put at risk," Mr Burke said.

"We know we have more work to do and won’t be backing down but this is terrific news. The public are on side, which reflects a shift in attitude over recent years. Australians are increasingly getting behind the push against piracy, with research showing three out of four Australians view piracy as theft. That’s why we will continue to fight hard.”

Creative Content Australia – an industry body whose members include Foxtel, Fetch, Screen Producers Australia and the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance – believes the site-blocking legislation has had a major impact on the number of Australians using pirate sites to access content.

Its 2018 research suggests active piracy in Australia has steadily declined among adults aged 18-64 from 25 per cent in 2015 to 18 per cent in 2018. Active piracy among teenagers aged 12-17 was higher but has still declined from 26 per cent in 2016 to 19 per cent in 2018.

CCA believes the drivers for the reduction have been the site-block legislation, consumer campaigns against piracy and also the increased availability of content, particularly subscription streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, Netflix, Stan and Foxtel Now, as well as free streaming services such as 9Now, 7Plus, tenplay, ABC iView and SBS On-Demand.