Movie importer, exhibitor and theme park operator Village Roadshow has confirmed plans to launch Federal Court action to block up to 40 piracy-linked Web sites in coming months.
The targets – so far unnamed – make up about 90 per cent of the flow of illegal downloads, Village Roadshow said in its H1 2017 results, published on Friday.
The ASX-listed Village Roadshow’s move comes after the Federal Court in December handed down the first Web-site blocking injunctions under Australian anti-piracy laws. The ruling sought by Village Roadshow and Foxtel would compel major Internet service providers to block customers from accessing sites linked to online piracy.
The Australian music industry has launched a separate site-blocking application seeking to have Telstra, Optus, TPG and Foxtel’s broadband arms block access to piracy site Kickass Torrents.
Village Roadshow has said it plans to launch “Google take-downs and site ranking demotions” and a “major PR campaign” on online piracy. “Availability of legal product” and “suing infringers” would follow, it added.
The company, which operates theme parks and other activities beside movie distribution, revealed a net loss of $5.7 million for the latest half-year to December 31, compared with a loss of $2.8 million for the previous corresponding period.
It says it is planning to diversify into new sectors including consumer electronics, insurance and banking.
