Where blocking orders come from
Section 97A of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 lets the High Court grant an injunction against a service provider that has actual knowledge of someone using its service to infringe copyright. Rights holders have used it for years to require broadband providers to block access to infringing websites.
In March 2017, the High Court granted the first order aimed at streaming servers rather than websites: a “live blocking order” that required the major UK broadband providers to block servers streaming top-flight football matches without permission, while matches were being broadcast. It was renewed for later seasons, and similar orders have followed for other sports. The judgment is linked in the sources at the end of this page.
How a live blocking order works
- The rights holder identifies servers streaming its broadcasts without permission, using monitoring during live events.
- The broadband providers named in the order block those servers, typically for the duration of each match, with the list updated as servers change.
- Safeguards in the orders are designed to limit the effect on lawful services: blocks are time-limited, targeted at identified servers and reviewed.
Blocking methods
| Method | How it works | What a viewer sees |
|---|---|---|
| DNS blocking | The provider’s DNS doesn’t return the real address for a blocked name | “Server not found” or “can’t connect” |
| IP address blocking | Traffic to a blocked server address is dropped | Channels that don’t start, or stop mid-stream |
| Deeper filtering | Traffic is identified by other characteristics and interrupted | Streams that freeze or stop at particular times |
A block can look exactly like a server fault. The difference is the pattern: the stream fails on home broadband but works on another network, often at predictable times.
What a block tells you about a service
A properly licensed service has no reason to be blocked, and blocking orders aren’t aimed at lawful providers. If a service regularly stops during live events and only works after a DNS or VPN change, the most likely explanation is that it’s streaming without permission. Changing network settings doesn’t change that. See is IPTV legal in the UK for what the law says about viewers.
When it isn’t a block
Most home streaming problems aren’t blocks. If a stream fails on mobile data as well, or fails randomly rather than during live events, start with server unavailable or how to stop IPTV buffering.