Every ISP in the US has been ordered to block three pirate streaming services

A federal judge ordered all internet service providers in the US to block three pirate streaming services operated by defendants who never showed up to court and hid behind false identities.

The blocking orders affect Israel.tv, Israeli-tv.com, and Sdarot.tv, as well as related domains listed in the rulings and any other domains where the copyright-infringing websites may reappear in the future. The orders were issued in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The websites that are expected to be blocked by 96 ISPs are provided in each ruling. The rulings say that all internet service providers must comply even if they are not on the list.

It is further ordered that all ISPs (including without limitation those set forth in Exhibit B hereto) and any other ISPs providing services in the United States shall block access to the Website at any domain address known today (including but not limited to those set forth in Exhibit A hereto) or to be used in the future by the Defendants ("Newly Detected Websites") by any technological means available on the ISPs' systems. The domain addresses and any Newly Detected Websites shall be channeled in such a way that users will be unable to connect and/or use the Website, and will be diverted by the ISPs" DNS servers to a landing page operated and controlled by Plaintiffs (the "Landing Page").

The landing page cites US District Judge Failla's order to block all access to the website due to copyrighted material.

You can file a motion to the Federal Court in the Southern District of New York if you were harmed by the decision.

“Gone to great lengths to conceal themselves”

The lawsuits were filed by Israeli TV and movie producers. There were three rulings that awarded damages of $7.65 million. The rulings were pointed out in an article.

There are permanent injunctions against the defendants themselves and other companies that provided services to the defendants in the future. That includes companies like Namecheap.

None of the defendants responded to the complaints or appeared in court.

The anti-circumvention provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) was violated by the defendants, the judge wrote.

Through the Website, Defendants have been re-broadcasting and streaming Plaintiffs' original content, broadcasting channels and TV services which are only authorized for broadcasting and/or viewing in the territory of the State of Israel and under a license. The Infringing Broadcasting includes original content produced and owned by Plaintiffs, mostly in Hebrew, and also from major studios in the United States and elsewhere, licensed to Plaintiffs for broadcasting exclusively in Israel (except as expressly licensed for broadcast in the United States).

Rulings further target web hosts and banks

The defendants are United King Film Distribution, D.B.S. Satellite Services, HOT Communication Systems, Reshet Media, and Keshet Broadcasting. The defendants have various services and hardware that allow end- user consumers to view the content of the lawsuit.

The judge ordered the transfer of the domain names. The rulings include injunctions against third parties providing services used in connection with Defendants operations, including web hosts, content delivery networks, DNS providers, VPNs providers, web designers, search-based online advertising services, and others.

Financial institutions are banned from doing business with blocked websites. The rulings directly target the defendants' monetary accounts, saying that they must have the authority to serve this Order on any party controlling or otherwise holding such accounts until they have paid the full amount owed to them.