A Canadian federal court has directed the country’s major internet service providers to block access to a group of stream-ripping websites, a ruling sought by Music Canada, the trade body representing Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada and Warner Music Canada.
Stream-ripping platforms allow users to convert music and video from licensed services such as Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube into permanent audio downloads, preventing artists and rightsholders from earning the royalties those streams would generate. Streaming now accounts for more than 75% of recorded music revenue in Canada.
Court Order Details
The Federal Court order targets four domains:
- Y2mate.ws
- YTmp3.lat
- Savefrom.space
- Spowload.cc
Nine internet service providers (ISPs), including Bell, Rogers and TekSavvy, must implement DNS (Domain Name System) blocking or rerouting to prevent access to these sites for a period of two years. The ISPs are also required to inform users who attempt to reach the blocked domains why the pages are no longer accessible.
The court additionally issued a permanent injunction compelling the operators of the stream-ripping services to cease all infringing activity and deactivate the domains. Music Canada retains the right to add future copycat domains to the blocklist without initiating a new full court hearing.
Industry Response
“Music Canada is committed to taking action against bad actors who deliberately steal from artists and rightsholders. Our goal is to ensure that artists are paid when their music is played. Preventing stream ripping services from operating is one way in which we can help do that.”
Patrick Rogers, CEO of Music Canada, said in a statement.
