Record industry talks Ireland’s Eircom into blocking P2P sites

ISPs in Ireland are being asked by the Irish Record Music Association (IRMA) to begin blocking access to filesharing sites, and at least one is already going along with the request. Ireland’s largest ISP, Eircom, has entered into an agreement with IRMA, saying that it will begin blocking access to sites that allow users to swap files and that it will not oppose any court action mandating that such action must be taken.Eircom entered into the agreement with the recording industry due to a recently-settled lawsuit over filesharing. The suit originated when the Irish branches of EMI, Warner, Universal, and Sony charged Eircom with aiding and abetting piracy by doing things like advertising its services on The Pirate Bay. As part of the settlement, Eircom agreed to implement a full “graduated response” program (also known as the “three strikes” rule that disconnects repeat file sharers after their third offense).
http://arstechnica.com/telecom/news/2009/02/record-industry-talks-irish-isp-into-blocking-p2p-sites.arsMusic-swapping sites to be blocked by internet providers
Irish internet users are to be blocked from accessing music swapping websites, as internet service providers bow to pressure from the music industry. Eircom, the country’s biggest internet provider, is to start blocking its internet customers from accessing music swapping.The country’s other internet providers have been told by the Irish Recorded Music Association (Irma) to follow suit or face legal action. If the music industry is successful, Ireland will become the first European country to completely block access to hundreds of file-sharing websites.
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