Foxtel, RoadShow Films: We want to block The Pirate Bay and other torrent sites but we won't pay for it

Torrents alternatives after fall of Kickass Torrents, Torrenthound and Torrentz: Kickass.mx shut down (Photo : Getty Images/ David Paul Morris)

The Pirate Bay and other torrent sites have a new enemy in Australia in the form of RoadShow Films and cable company Foxtel as the two move to block the sites at an ISP level.



It means that people in Australia who want to access the sites won't be able to once the ban is implemented to their Internet Service Providers. The problem for the motion is that nobody wants to pay the bill required for it to pass onto the Federal Court.




Roadshow and Foxtel want to ban The Pirate Bay, Solar Movie, IsoHunt, TorrentHunt, Torrent Hound and Torrentz by the ISPs. They believe that the torrent sites offend and violate the copyrights of their content which are pirated through illegal downloading.



Applications of both the entities were heard by the court in Sydney on Friday and Thursday. They will be the first to bring a case under the 2015 Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill.



The good news is that neither of the two wants to cover the costs needed to push the case forward against The Pirate Bay and other sites. Roadshow and Foxtel lawyer Richard Lancaster said that the cost should be covered by the ISP as part of their business, Mashable has learned.



Of course, the ISPs obviously disagree on the matter of costs. Lancaster added that there are many other rights holders that will benefit from the blocking of the torrent and piracy sites.



Both Foxtel and Roadshow also want proxies and mirrors to be added to the blocking orders as the torrent sites can quickly adjust to another domain after being blocked, Torrent Freak reported. The process would ensure that new blocks will be implemented in under two weeks.



Telstra lawyer Tony Bannon said that while blocking is indeed part of their business, they will not be able to do so without a court order. They iterate that the cost should be covered by the applicant, which are Foxtel and Roadshow in this case against The Pirate Bay and the other torrent sites.



The Pirate Bay and other piracy sites will have several more months before the final decision is made. Somebody will have to pay for the motion from Foxtel and Roadshow if they want for it to pass and order the Australian ISPs to block the torrent sites.





