LISBON, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Lisbon Intellectual Property Court has ruled against Google Portugal for allowing access to a website that shared pirated content, including films, TV series, newspapers, and books, Portugal's Lusa News Agency reported on Wednesday.
The court has ordered Google to block the website eztv, along with over 500 related subdomains, imposing a daily fine of 1,000 euros for each day the company fails to comply after the final ruling, Lusa reported.
This legal dispute began in August 2020 when the Association for the Collective Management of Copyright of Film and Audiovisual Producers (GEDIPE) informed Google Portugal of the illegal activities on eztv. Despite efforts by the General Inspection of Cultural Activities to block the website through internet service providers, users continued to access it by using Google's public DNS service, which bypassed the blocks.
In its ruling on Sept. 9, the court found that Google Portugal acted as an intermediary by providing an alternative DNS, enabling users to circumvent the block, according to Lusa.
The court concluded that this service allowed users to continue accessing the banned website and its subdomains. Failure to comply with the order could result in substantial financial penalties for Google.
A spokesperson for Google Portugal stated that the company would appeal the decision, arguing that it lacks the technical capability to block the domains since the public DNS service is managed by Google Ireland. The company also pointed out that blocking the DNS doesn't remove the illegal content, but only makes it harder to access.
The court rejected these arguments, noting that Google Portugal failed to demonstrate its inability to enforce the block. The ruling emphasized that Google's alternative DNS circumvents existing restrictions, facilitating access to illegal content.
GEDIPE welcomed the decision, calling it a victory for intellectual property protection and the creative industries reliant on copyright enforcement. The appeal is expected to address the broader issue of tech companies' responsibilities in fighting online piracy. ■