Representatives of rights-holders and internet search engines have agreed to collaborate for the first time on reducing the availability of infringing content accessed through online searches in the UK.
Following a government-chaired series of roundtables, a voluntary code of practice will allow the parties to demote links to websites that are dedicated to infringing content for consumers.
In a statement, the two parties said that a core aim of the collaboration would be to “improve autocomplete suggestions” that can direct users to infringing search results.
The UK’s Intellectual Property Office led the discussions, with the assistance of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Media regulator Ofcom has supported the discussions by examining the way that search results are presented to internet users.
Last week three suppliers of pre-loaded IPTV boxes were ordered to pay a total of £267,000 (€310,000/$332,000) by the courts for infringing copyright in relation to football’s English Premier League.