Republican bill would order ISPs, DNS providers, and VPNs to block piracy sites

US Representative Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) has introduced legislation aimed at curbing online copyright infringement by mandating that Internet Service Providers (ISPs), DNS resolution services, and VPN operators block access to foreign piracy websites. The proposed bill seeks to streamline the process for copyright holders to obtain judicial blocking orders. Issa, who is nearing the end of his congressional tenure, argues that current Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notice-and-takedown procedures are insufficient for protecting time-sensitive content, such as live sports broadcasts. By enabling faster site-blocking, the bill aims to render the distribution of unauthorized content unprofitable. This initiative aligns with long-standing goals of the Motion Picture Association (MPA) to implement a more aggressive site-blocking regime in the United States, sparking ongoing debate regarding the balance between intellectual property protection and internet freedom.