Court backs Netflix effort to stamp-out illicit Stranger Things streaming

Judge grants application to block dozens of sites offering unauthorised streaming or downloads

Credit: 74168471 © Christos Georghiou Dreamstime.com

A group of entertainment companies including Netflix’s production arm, Netflix Studios, has successfully obtained a court injunction directing Telstra, Optus, Vocus, TPG and Vodafone to block their broadband customers from accessing almost 100 sites.

The application, filed by the group in mid-May, states that the blocked sites offer illicit streaming or download services, or “identify other online locations... by a process known as ‘linking’”.

Among the copyright works cited as being made available by the sites are episodes of Netflix’s Stranger Things and Santa Clarita Diet.

It is the first time Netflix has used Australia’s anti-piracy laws.

The application for a site-blocking injunction was led by Village Roadshow, and along with Netflix was backed by Hong Kong’s Television Broadcasts Limited, Australia’s Madman Anime Group, and a group of US movie studios: Disney, Paramount, Columbia, Universal, and Warner Bros.

The group appeared in court yesterday for a hearing that resulted in a same day judgement by Justice Thawley, granting the injunction.

In June, another Roadshow-led site-blocking effort was successful.

Currently before the court is an application by pay TV company Foxtel that seeks to block around three dozen domains, including a number of web proxy services.

Earlier this month a group of TV show distributors withdrew their application to block online services associated with the Reelplay set-top box.

The online location set to be blocked as a result of yesterday’s judgement are:

123freemovies.net; 123kubo.org; 123movie.mn; 123movies.link; afdah; allyoulike.com; bittorrent.am; btbbt; cinebloom; cinemega; coolseries; crazy4tv.com; ffilms.org; fsonline; fmovies.cab; fmovieson.com; fmoviesonline.org; fmovies-series.live; freemovieswatchonline.; me; fzmovies.net; ganool; genvideos.com; hdencode.com; hdgo.to; hdmovie8; hd-torrents.org; hongmovie; hubmovie.cc; imkan.tv; indoxxi; iwannawatch.is; levidia.ch; linktv.co; loadtv.info; mint movies; moviesub.is; moviesrulzfree; movierulz19.com; pahe.in; putlockerfree1.live; scene release; seedpeer.me; skmov.com; thewatchseries.tv; tvraven.pro; uhdmov.org; vidics.to; vophim.com; vumoo.to; watchmoviesfree.us; worldfree4u.is; yo-movies.com; yourbittorrent2.com; 0123movies.online; bmovie.cc; bmovies.cloud; fmovies.cc; gowatchseries.co; putlocker4u.co; putlocker-hd.is; putlockers.mn; putputlockers.net; spacemov.cc; spacemov.top; psy play; azdrama.live; drama3s.to; dramawall.com; fbcinema.com; renrentv.me; v.localau.com; 520boxtv.com; Gangjuw.com; azaprv.com; anidex.info; animeseries.co; animestreams.net; animeultima; animevibe.xyz; nyaa.pantsu.cat; nyaa.credit; nyaa.vet; nyaa.nocensor.xyz; ryuanime.com; twist.moe; and watchanime.info.

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Tags copyrightTelecommunicationspiracynetflixVillage Roadshowsite blocking laws

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