India starts blocking file storage websites in a move against piracy

File storage websites such as Megaupload, Putlocker, Rapidshare are being blocked in India.

A thread started on a popular online forum focused on developments in Indian broadband has furious and surprised users sharing a list of websites blocked by their Internet service providers. Going through the thread and my Twitter interactions, India’s Department of Telecommunication is behind the block.

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Update: Ok, this is a very, very interesting situation. According to Indian news site Medianama, a company called Reliance Big Pictures served cease and desists letters on sites/services unlawfully offering the movie ‘Singham’ which releases in theaters officially tomorrow.

“A John Doe order is given against unidentified people, because the copyright owner doesn’t know who is going to infringe,” Big Pictures VP (Music and Anti Piracy) Sanjay Tandon told Medianama. “We anticipate that certain entities are going to infringe, and the Delhi High Court has granted us a John Doe order.”

It appears that having been served with the order, some ISPs overreacted and blocked entire sites, rather than just the Singham movie.

“Our only appeal with this order is that you cannot make the film available through your network,” added Tandon. “It’s a matter for the ISPs to look into, because it becomes their liability.”

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