In an unprecedented ruling, the Paris court mandated providers, VPNs, and DNS services to block access to 35 pirate sports websites, marking a new era in the fight against illegal broadcasts in France.
A Paris court has issued an unprecedented ruling, ordering internet providers, VPN services, and even DNS resolvers to block access to 35 web resources that illegally broadcast sporting events in France. This decision was the result of lawsuits filed, in particular, by the Spanish football league LaLiga.
This measure represents the largest single-instance blocking in the history of the French system for combating sports content piracy. Not only major French internet providers are affected, but also popular alternative DNS services such as Google, Cloudflare, and Quad9, as well as well-known VPN providers including ProtonVPN, CyberGhost, and ExpressVPN.
According to the court's ruling, these blocks will remain in effect until June 21, 2026. Notably, the list of blocked domains may expand in agreement with the French regulator ARCOM, indicating a long-term strategy.
Legal Nuances and Justification
The court specifically emphasized that LaLiga cannot directly act as a plaintiff in this process. This is due to the fact that the Spanish organization does not possess the necessary French state delegation required to apply the relevant articles of the French sports code.
However, the company beIN Sports France successfully proved the violation of its exclusive rights within France. It was established that the pirate resources were broadcasting matches using its branding, which became a key argument in court.
Expansion of Technical Coverage
Thus, we see how the French judicial system is actively expanding its methods of combating piracy. The blocks now affect not only providers but also deeper technical layers, including DNS, CDN, and VPN, significantly complicating the circumvention of restrictions. This demonstrates the seriousness of the French authorities' intentions in protecting copyright.
