In recent years, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have become increasingly concerned about the rising presence of popular IPTV services. Some of them are even voicing their opinions on blocking these platforms as soon as the law allows.
ISPs like Proximus and Orange Belgium are eagerly awaiting the implementation of new regulations that would grant them the authority to take action against these unverified IPTV services. While there are currently legal limitations preventing them from blocking these services, the ISPs firmly believe that new laws will provide a more effective solution to tackle the problem head-on.
This move by ISPs is driven by the understanding that IPTV Services pose a threat to the economic model of media and content distribution. While these ISPs claim that halting IPTV Providers will create a more secure and reliable streaming experience for their customers, many feel that the sole purpose of blocking these entities would be to protect the interests of rightsholders and grow their subscription dollars.
We want to know what you think of Internet Service Providers aiming to block IPTV. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
Concerns surrounding IPTV services and ISPs date back to the early 2000s when the entertainment industry was grappling with the issue of online piracy. The rapid advancement of technology and the internet revolutionized the way content was consumed, but it also presented challenges in terms of copyright protection and illegal streaming.
The lack of legal avenues to access content online fueled the demand for IPTV services, which allowed users to stream Movies, TV shows, and other content without a pricy subscription package.
In 2004, the Belgian music rights group SABAM attempted to force ISPs into compliance by demanding the filtering and blocking of piracy-related traffic. This move sparked a seven-year legal battle between SABAM and Scarlet, an ISP in Belgium.
The legal confrontation ultimately resulted in a landmark victory for Scarlet in 2011, setting a precedent in the ongoing struggle between rightsholders and ISPs. However, attitudes toward filtering and blocking have since evolved, and ISPs like Proximus and Orange Belgium have recognized the need to address the issue of IPTV services more proactively.
These ISPs are now awaiting the implementation of a legal framework that would authorize them to cut off illegal streaming services and prevent their customers from consuming IPTV content.
We have seen instances of IPTV blocking in the past in various countries across the world including Italy and Canada.
Canadian ISPs Block IPTV Services & Log Customer IP Addresses
Italian Senate Passes Law to Block Streaming Sites & IPTV
LaLiga Teams up with MoviStar to Block IPTV Services
The Implications and Future of IPTV Services
Both Proximus and Orange Belgium are eagerly awaiting the implementation of a draft law published in 2022 that would authorize the immediate blocking of pirate IPTV providers. They believe that this legal framework would enable them to take swift action against illegal streams and protect the interests of content creators and distributors.
The CEOs of Proximus and Orange Belgium have highlighted the need to safeguard the economic model of the media industry. Proximus CEO Guillaume Boutin noted in a recent interview:
We are just waiting for the legal framework to be able to cut the streams. We don’t have the right to do that today. But we have the capacity… The cycle between when the link is spotted and when we receive permission to cut it takes too long. Afterwards it abounds in all directions. More links are coming. This procedure is of no use today. Honestly, this IPTV situation is intolerable, for the rights holders, for the distributors, and for Proximus too. This is an enormous evaporation of value for the sector. This is unacceptable.
Xavier Pichon, the CEO of Orange Belgium seems to agree with Proximus’ standpoint on the issue, stating the following in an interview with La Libre:
We have the technological means to massively block these streams, and the content publishers who lose money are just asking for that, but for the moment, it is blocked because of administrative and judicial consistency. But that will change…
Illegal IPTV seriously threatens the entire economic model of publishers, copyrights and media. Telecommunications companies invest considerable resources in acquiring the rights to content and, at the same time, in the sizing and quality of the network necessary to carry content traffic over the network. On the contrary, illegal service providers do not contribute to copyright and threaten the entire economic model of the media.
Both CEOs are waiting on the proposed law that was outlined in June of 2022. You can access the proposed bill by CLICKING HERE.
This article was originally published by TorrentFreak.
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