Digital Economy bill amendments could deny YouTube access

Amendments could force ISPs to block popular web sites

Lib Dem Lords' amendments could deny UK users access to YouTube

Liberal Democrat Lords Razzall and Clement-Jones have proposed an amendment to the Digital Economy bill which could see UK ISPs forced to block web sites with a high proportion of copyright-infringing content.

That could mean users are prevented from viewing highly popular sites such as YouTube.

The key passage in the amendment says: "The High Court shall have power to grant an injunction against an [internet] service provider, requiring it to prevent access to online locations specified in the order of the Court."

A further statement in the amendment says that this would apply when a substantial proportion of the content accessible at or via each specified online location infringes copyright.

If the amendment is upheld, ISPs may be legally required to block sites such as YouTube in the UK.

The Digital Economy bill is currently in the report stage at the House of Lords before its third reading in the Commons.

But whether it will receive assent before the upcoming general election remains to be seen.

The Digital Economy bill was announced in the Queen's speech in November 2009, with a major section dedicated to how best to deal with illegal file sharing. The speech also revealed details on how the digital radio switchover would be achieved.