Blocked File-sharing Sites Still Available
12 October 2012
Ten file-sharing sites ordered by the Malaysian to be blocked are still accessible to web surfers, according to media reports. The 10 websites are reportedly among the most-visited by Malaysians to illegally download movies. A check by a Star reporter found that nine of the 10 sites could still be accessed and their services utilized, while the 10th was down due to technical difficulties.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) sent a letter on May 30 to all internet service providers, ordering that the 10 sites be blocked for breaching Section 41 of the Copyright Act, which deals with pirated content.
The Star said that ISPs, when contacted, were unable to comment on why the MCMC’s order had yet to be carried out.
In a separate report, the newspaper says that the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) has called on the Government to ban an 11th filesharing site, jiwang.org, which the RIM says specializes in providing pirated Malaysian music recordings for illegal downloads.
RIM chairman Norman Abdul Halim praised the Government’s efforts to uphold copyright laws in cyberspace by taking action against the file-sharing sites, the newspaper said. He said the RIM had filed a complaint with the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry, and noted that Malaysia is the first country in Southeast Asia to block file-sharing sites, according to the Star.
