Swedish website Pirate Bay may have to amend its file-sharing practices after Europe’s top court said it may be breaking copyright rules by helping users download films, TV shows and music for free.
File-sharing websites such as Pirate Bay and Torrentz have angered music and film companies by providing a platform where users can illegally share films and videos over the internet, costing content providers millions of euros in lost revenue.
The Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) said Pirate Bay’s role as a host meant it may be liable for web piracy.
“Making available and managing an online platform for sharing copyright-protected works, such as ‘The Pirate Bay,’ may constitute an infringement of copyright,” judges said.
“Even if the works in question are placed online by the users of the online sharing platform, the operators of that platform play an essential role in making those works available,” they said.
Pirate Bay could not immediately be reached for comment.
The court ruling came after Dutch industry group Stichting Brein asked a Dutch court to order internet service providers XS4LL and Ziggo, which is owned by Liberty Global , to block Pirate Bay.
The Dutch court subsequently asked for the ECJ’s guidance.
