US Representative Darrell Issa has proposed a bill that would compel ISPs, DNS providers and virtual private networks to block foreign piracy websites. The move comes amidst ongoing debates over the effectiveness of current copyright protection measures.

Issa, a strong proponent of the bill, argues that the current notice-and-takedown process under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, while effective in removing millions of listings daily, is not fast enough to prevent the profitability of piracy. He advocates for a quicker system, one that could potentially block infringing sites in ‘45 minutes or sometimes a fraction of that live sports broadcast’.

However, the proposal faces significant opposition. Advocacy groups, like Public Knowledge, argue that the measure would impose a broad censorship regime and unfairly penalize small businesses. They contend that such legislation could disrupt innocent operations and fail to address the root cause of piracy.

Issa is the latest in a series of Republican and Democratic lawmakers to propose similar legislation, with the Motion Picture Association showing support. His bill, submitted after a hearing where he outlined his concerns, highlights the ongoing tension between technological advancement and legal enforcement.