The High Court recently ruled that both the operators and users of The Pirate Bay file-sharing website were guilty of infringing copyright. That ruling came in response to an application by a number of record companies, represented by the BPI (the British Phonographic Industry) and PPL (Phonographic Performance Ltd), for an order for Internet service providers (ISPs) to block, or at least impede, access to The Pirate Bay.
The High Court has now granted that order. Virgin Media, Sky, Everything Everywhere, O2 and TalkTalk have been ordered by the High Court to put measures in place that prevent their respective users accessing The Pirate Bay. ISPs have criticised the move as a part-solution only to the increasing problem of copyright infringement.