Marking the second agreement of its kind and the first with a registry based outside the United States, domain name registry operator Radix and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) are cooperating to help ensure that websites using domains operated by Radix are not engaged in large-scale commercial piracy.

Under the terms of the agreement, the MPAA will be treated as a ‘Trusted Notifier’ for the purpose of referring large-scale pirate websites that are registered in domain extensions operated by Radix. The agreement, which is similar to the one announced in February with the domain name operator Donuts, imposes strict standards for such referrals, including that they be accompanied by evidence of clear and pervasive copyright infringement, and a representation that the MPAA has first attempted to contact the registrar and hosting provider for resolution.

The agreement specifies that Radix will work with registry partners to contact the website operator and seek additional evidence. If Radix or its registry partners determine that the website is engaged in illegal activity and thereby violates Radix’s Acceptable Use and Anti-Abuse Policy, then they, in their discretion, may act within their already established authority to put the infringing site on hold or suspend it.

Overall, this programme is a voluntary best practice designed to help promote a healthier Internet by mitigating blatantly illegal online activity.

“Our aim is to evolve our domain extensions to a point where Internet users feel a greater sense of security when they see a URL that ends with them. We welcome MPAA’s cooperation in helping us prevent intellectual property and copyright violations in our name space. We’re hopeful that our joint actions will not only protect creators from having their works stolen, but also protect Internet users from exposure to malware that is commonly found on sites run by unlicensed operators,” said Sandeep Ramchandani, Business Head of Radix.

“I want to thank Radix for their leadership and commitment in this effort. This agreement demonstrates that tech and content creators can work together on voluntary initiatives to help ensure vibrant, legal digital marketplaces that benefit all members of the digital ecosystem,” said Steven Fabrizio, the MPAA’s Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel. “While this agreement is geared to film and television piracy, similar agreements could address other illegal activity online. Hopefully, it can become a model to be used with other players in the domain name ecosystem and Internet intermediaries.”

Categories: Articles, Piracy