Commentary on Sections Section 56: Repeal of power to make provision for blocking injunctions
254.This provision repeals sections 17 and 18 of the Digital Economy Act 2010. Those sections contain powers to make regulations that would grant courts the power to order internet service providers to block access to websites. The court would need to be satisfied that such websites are used, or are likely to be used, to infringe copyright. In August 2011 the government announced in its paper ‘Next steps for the implementation of the Digital Economy Act’ that it would not make such regulations. This was on the basis of a study carried out by Ofcom which concluded that the specific blocking injunctions in the Act were unlikely to be effective in practice.
255.This provision forms part of the law of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It comes into force at the end of the period of 2 months beginning with the day on which the Act is passed.