Pirate Site Blocking Is Legally Impossible in Bulgaria, Supreme Court Ruled
5 hours ago
- #copyright enforcement
- #EU law
- #site blocking
- Bulgaria considered blocking pirate sites nearly 20 years ago, with an initial attempt to block ArenaBG in 2007 sparking protests and being withdrawn.
- In 2023, a Sofia court ordered ISPs to block The Pirate Bay and Zamunda, but the ISPs appealed and won at the Supreme Court in 2024, citing lack of national laws for blocking injunctions.
- The Supreme Court ruled that current Bulgarian copyright law doesn't allow site blocking via civil cases, requiring new legislation to address EU directive gaps.
- BAMP responded to the EU, urging full implementation of existing directives before new laws, highlighting the legislative deficiency in Bulgaria.
- Despite the blocking setback, Bulgaria made anti-piracy progress by shutting down major trackers like ArenaBG with U.S. help, leading to removal from the U.S. Watch List.
- Rightsholders may sue Bulgaria for damages over failed EU implementation, and lawmakers are working on a copyright act amendment since 2022, yet unapproved.