Germany's Copyright Clearing House now requires courts for website blocks
17 days ago
- #judicial review
- #internet regulation
- #copyright
- The Copyright Clearing House for the Internet (CUII) will now have courts review DNS blocking requests before implementation.
- CUII, established in 2021, claims success in combating illegal online business models and addresses criticism of unchecked private enforcement.
- Major providers like Telekom and rights holders such as the German Publishers Association are members of CUII.
- Previously, 25 websites with hundreds of domains were blocked for copyright infringement, including streaming portals like kinox.to.
- Critics, including the Society for Civil Rights, argue that blocks like Sci-Hub's impact academic freedom.
- CUII's blocking recommendations are usually implemented by providers, though some, like Tele Columbus, require official orders.
- The Federal Network Agency previously checked blocks for net neutrality but will reduce involvement, shifting responsibility to courts.
- CUII reports an 80% drop in visits to blocked sites, with 50 million hits on its landing page in 2024.
- The new judicial review process aims to ensure legal security and speed up blocking procedures.
- The Federal Cartel Office has been informed of the new method, which involves court orders for blocks applied by all affiliated providers.