Brussels - In a case that could have ramifications throughout Europe, a Belgian court has ordered an Internet service provider in the country to block or filter copyrighted material traded on peer-to-peer services over its network.

The case is unique in that, in the U.S. and other regions, ISPs have generally been deemed to have safe harbor from litigation over the information transferred across their networks.

In this case, brought by Belgian copyright group SABAM, the court found that Belgian ISP Scarlet has the technical means to block copyright infringement, and must do so within six months.

The international recording industry hopes the precedent will eventually be applied across Europe and elsewhere.

"This is an extremely significant ruling which bears out exactly what we have been saying for the last two years -- that the internet's gatekeepers, the ISPs, have a responsibility to help control copyright-infringing traffic on their networks," said John Kennedy, chairman and CEO of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).

"This is a decision that we hope will set the mould for government policy and for courts in other countries in Europe and around the world."

Related Links:
http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_news/20070704b.html

http://tinyurl.com/23ohdf (Reuters)

http://tinyurl.com/2rwstk (VentureBeat)