Rogers, Quebecor and Hollywood Studios Win Piracy Site-Blocking Order

Canada’s Federal Court has issued a two-year site-blocking order requiring the country’s major internet providers to cut off access to a list of piracy streaming platforms, in a ruling that also gives rights holders a faster way to add new domains as pirate operators move around.

Justice Richard Southcott signed the order on July 3, 2026 in Ottawa under docket T-1127-26. It targets 13 named John Doe operators running unauthorized IPTV services and open web piracy sites, including Apollo Group TV, Diablo IPTV, Glo TV, IPGuys, Jio TV, Smart4K/Platinum, 123Movies, Cineby, FMovies, HydraHD, Putlocker, TheTVApp, and WatchSeries. None of the operators appeared in court.

Who filed the case

The applicants are a mix of Canadian broadcasters and Hollywood studios:

• Rogers Media Inc.
• Rogers Communications Inc.
• Groupe TVA Inc.
• Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.
• Disney Enterprises, Inc.
• Netflix Studios, LLC
• Netflix Worldwide Entertainment, LLC
• Paramount Pictures Corporation
• Universal City Studios LLC
• Universal City Studios Productions LLLP
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

The internet providers named as third party respondents are Bell Canada, Bragg Communications (Eastlink), Cogeco Connexion, Rogers Communications Canada, SaskTel, TekSavvy, Telus Communications, and Videotron. Rogers and Videotron consented to the order, while the rest did not take a position.

What the order does

Providers have 10 business days to block the listed domains and IP addresses for at least their residential wireline customers. The bigger change is what the court called the Expanded Scope and the Simplified Procedure. Instead of returning to court every time a blocked site pops up under a new name, rights holders can file evidence and a proposed updated list of domains. If no provider objects within five business days, the new domains get added automatically.

The order also requires a notification website. This means customers who hit a blocked domain get redirected to a page explaining the block, who filed it, and how to apply to the court to change it. That page can optionally point people toward legal streaming options.

Providers are protected on a few fronts, as they do not have to verify whether the applicants got the domain list right, they can pause blocking temporarily to deal with over-blocking or network issues, and the applicants have to cover their reasonable costs. Site operators, other affected websites, and customers can all move to vary the order.

Quebecor reacts

Quebecor, parent of Videotron and Groupe TVA, has been one of the most active players pushing for site blocking in Canada. The telecom issued the following statement on Thursday in response to the win:

“For years, Quebecor has stood behind judicial site blocking as an indispensable mechanism to defend both creators and consumers against digital piracy. The explosive growth of illicit devices, add-ons, and apps poses a serious and ongoing threat to the legal marketplace for content — from films and television to sports programming — and undermines the Canadian creative and broadcasting industries that depend on it. Smaller players cannot sustain their role in that ecosystem when a significant share of their audience is diverted to illegal services. Today’s ruling builds on a solid foundation of responsible, court-supervised enforcement and sends a clear signal: our legal tools must keep pace with the increasingly sophisticated tactics of those who profit from stolen content. We are encouraged by this decision, which is consistent with Canadian precedent and with actions taken by courts and legislatures around the world recognizing that internet intermediaries are well positioned to help bring illegal online activity to an end.”

The company says the ruling adds to a track record that includes the GoldTV site-blocking order in 2019, sanctions against illegal set-top box sellers in 2021, the TVAddons judgment in 2022, and the permanent injunction in the Konek/Hill Valley case in 2023.

Why the faster process matters

Piracy operators now spin up new domains and copycat sites at scale, often resurfacing within hours of being blocked. That has forced rights holders and courts into repeat filings over the same services. The order borrows from a similar approach used in the UK, and the court noted that when one platform gets blocked, others tend to appear or grow in its place.

The order expires two years from issuance unless the court says otherwise; no other costs were awarded.