Canada has been rolling out anti-piracy protocols in recent years at the request of rightsholders. The injunction requires internet providers to block unauthorized broadcasts and takes a special interest in live sports.
The NHL was the first league to apply for a pirate IPTV blocking order, which was granted. The Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic issued an independent researcher to analyze the orders’ “effectiveness and proportionality of the blocking efforts,” as reported by Torrent Freak. The block order ended with the season so the NHL would need to refile with the courts for next season.
Last fall, the FIFA World Cup received approval for a blocking order. Now the MLB has been granted a blocking order of its own. Or more specifically, the Toronto Blue Jays.
Any game featuring the Toronto Blue Jays will be under watch by Canad’as Federal Court. The order requires all internet providers to block any unauthorized IPTV streams during the current season, which runs through October. The order can be extended for future seasons.
“Third Party Respondents shall, during each of the MLB Live Game Windows… block or attempt to block access, by at least their residential wireline internet service customers, to each of the IP addresses for the Target Servers.”
One internet provider has since spoken out against the order. As with the previous anti-piracy block orders, TekSavvy is against MLB’s blockage. The company is concerned it will be negatively affected by the order and says others could as well.
“Anyone who claims to be affected by the order may also apply to the Court to discharge or vary the order. This includes any operators of servers who are affected by this order, any internet service customer affected by the Order, or any other third party who claims to be affected by this order,” said TekSavvy in a statement.