It will soon be harder for UK citizens to find pirated films, music and more through searches engines like Google and Bing. According to a report from the Guardian, Microsoft and Google have just signed up to a voluntary code of practice, agreeing to hide websites housing pirated content in search results. The measure is meant to fight piracy while also encouraging Internet users in the UK to visit legit digital marketplaces.
The code, which was created after discussions with The Intellectual Property Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is an unprecedented move in the country. It will take effect in the summer and be added to previous existing anti-piracy measures, such as court ordered site blockings.
Eddy Leviten, director general at the Alliance for Intellectual Property praised the decision to deprecate piracy websites in search results. “What we want to ensure is that the results at the top of the search engines are the genuine ones,” he explained. “It is about protecting people who use the internet, but also protecting the creators of that material too,” he added.
