Taking down a pirate website is no easy feat, but one of the most effective methods—at least temporarily—is by disabling its domain name. While domain registries have historically been reluctant to intervene, the right approach can yield results. This week, Dutch anti-piracy group BREIN announced that following its complaints, both the .nl and .eu domain registries took action against several pirate websites. However, a closer look reveals that the crackdown had little to do with copyright infringement.
Domain Name Takedowns as an Anti-Piracy Strategy
For years, entertainment industry groups have pressured domain name registries to assist in combating piracy. The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has previously reached agreements with registries, allowing them to act as “trusted notifiers” to flag pirate domains. However, not all registries have been willing to cooperate.
For example, the Public Interest Registry (PIR), which manages the .org domain, has previously declined to take action against The Pirate Bay, citing concerns about maintaining a “free, open, safe, and secure internet.” Despite these hesitations, the pressure continues to mount. Some domain extensions, including .cc, .io, and .tv, have even been labeled “notorious piracy markets” for their perceived inaction.
Dutch and European Registries Crack Down
Despite the ongoing debate, some registries have started responding to complaints. This week, BREIN reported a major success in its battle against piracy, revealing that the Dutch SIDN (.nl) and European EURid (.eu) registries had taken down several domains associated with pirate operations.
According to BREIN, SIDN’s actions targeted IPTV-related domains, including streamdeal.nl, iptvproviders.nl, omniptv.nl, and iptvstreamplus.nl. Meanwhile, EURid reportedly removed seven domains that facilitated access to pirated movies, music, books, and games. These sites were registered via proxy services, making it difficult to identify the true owners.
The Real Reason for Domain Suspensions
While BREIN claims victory, the actual reason for these takedowns is not what one might expect. Instead of direct copyright infringement claims, SIDN and EURid confirmed that the domains were disabled due to inaccurate WHOIS registration information—a violation of their terms of service.
A spokesperson for SIDN, Marnie van Duijnhoven, explained that the suspensions resulted from failure to provide or verify correct registrant details. This process was triggered by BREIN’s complaints, but the final decision was based on registry policies rather than piracy-related concerns. EURid echoed this stance, citing breaches of their registration rules as the reason for domain removals.
BREIN’s Perspective: Different Paths, Same Goal
BREIN’s director, Bastiaan van Ramshorst, acknowledged that copyright infringement wasn’t the official reason behind the takedowns. However, he pointed out that inaccurate WHOIS data is common among pirate sites, as operators prefer to stay anonymous. This provides an alternative avenue to take down domains suspected of hosting illegal content.
“Our goal remains the same: removing domains that enable large-scale copyright violations,” Van Ramshorst stated. “Whether action is taken due to copyright complaints or registration policy breaches, both approaches lead to the same outcome.”
A Growing Trend in Domain Enforcement
While it remains unclear whether domain verification takedowns will become a more common anti-piracy tactic, recent data suggests that this route may be more effective than traditional copyright-based complaints. SIDN’s latest transparency report shows that it received just 39 copyright-related takedown requests in the first three quarters of the year. However, during the same period, over 5,000 domain suspension procedures were launched under articles 16 and 18 of SIDN’s terms, which focus on inaccurate registrant information.
This shift in strategy highlights the evolving nature of online piracy enforcement. As copyright-based actions become more challenging due to legal complexities, registry compliance measures offer an alternative means of disrupting pirate operations. Whether this approach will have a lasting impact remains to be seen, but for now, BREIN appears to have found a workaround in its fight against piracy.
