Photo credit: Neven Myst
Big labels are celebrating a court decision to ban BitTorrent trackers in Bulgaria. Here’s the latest.
The International Phonographic Industry Federation (IFPI) represents the recorded music industry worldwide and together with the Bulgarian Association of Music Producers (BAMP) has conducted a successful blocking action against BitTorrent trackers in the country.
The judgment was issued by the Sofia City Court on May 31, 2023 and requires three ISPs in Bulgaria to block access to the bit torrent site The Pirate Bay, the local site Zamunda and all subsequent mirrors of these torrent sites. The case was coordinated by the IFPI and brought by BAMP on behalf of its members and three member record labels of the IFPI – Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group.
Bulgaria joins the 20 countries around the world that have issued lockdown orders on The Pirate Bay, 13 of those countries are in the EU. Zamunda is a local Bittorrent site and is not blocked in any other country except Bulgaria, which accounts for 80% of traffic to the site.
“We welcome this decision and the impact it will have in restricting illegal access to music,” said Frances Moore, Managing Director of IFPI. “Copyright infringement of any kind seriously damages local music ecosystems and diverts money from those who make and invest in music.”
“We welcome the decision of the Sofia City Court, which will strengthen the music industry’s fight against online music piracy,” adds Petya Totcharova, Managing Director of BAMP. “It is the first time that a website blocking order has been issued in Bulgaria and we consider this precedent to be an important step in the right direction.”
IFPI is the voice of the recorded music industry worldwide, representing over 8,000 record label members around the world. The organization aims to promote the value of recorded music, advocate for record producers’ rights and expand the commercial exploitation of recorded music around the world.