'From enemies to allies': Google removes piracy websites from search results

Google is voluntarily pulling down hundreds of websites involved in pirating popular movies and television shows after years of intensifying criticism from local film businesses and content creators.

The tech giant has entered into a voluntary agreement to help stop the spread of illegally downloaded material by removing sites blocked by internet service providers from its search results, allowing copyright holders to avoid taking the US-based behemoth to court.

Village Roadshow chief executive Graham Burke.Credit: Eddie Jim

Village Roadshow chief executive Graham Burke said there had so far been 832 sites blocked by the multibillion-dollar search platform, as part of a new collaborative approach between Google, internet service providers and content owners.

Mr Burke previously accused the US tech giant of "facilitating crime" for allowing pirate websites to be found in search results and told Google to "sue" him over the comments. He has been arguing for changes in the way the tech company handles illegally shared content over the last five years.

His movie business has lost millions of dollars due to piracy of hit films like Lion and Mad Max: Fury Road and he has repeatedly warned that local screen productions and creative industries have been decimated by those choosing to illegally download rather than pay for their entertainment.

Since 2015, there have been laws allowing copyright holders to obtain a court order to force internet service providers to block pirate websites. Roadshow Films was the first company to make a case under the site blocking regime.

Last year, these measures were tightened up to restrict the bypassing of the blocks and to enable copyright holders to get an injunction against a search engine.

Now, Google has agreed to 'de-index' these websites when they have been blocked by internet providers regardless of whether or not the court order applies to the search giant.

"This means we, as content owners, will be able to avoid the expense, effort, time and uncertainty of going to court," Mr Burke said.

"We've gone from being enemies to being allies ... because I believe Google is doing the right thing by Australians," he said.

"[The] pirates' business model is robbing and scamming people, they have sophisticated ways to take your information. Google has come down on the side that is right."

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield, who pushed for the tougher new laws to be introduced, said the legislation had helped change the companies' behaviours "in a positive way, so that hopefully there isn't the need to resort to the mechanisms the law provides".

"This is the sort of voluntary and positive partnership we want to see between platforms and content creators," Mr Fifield said.

"The norms and laws that apply in the physical world should also apply in the online world. Copyright law is no exception," he said.

A Google spokeswoman said the search platform "supports effective industry-led measures to fight piracy, and we invest significantly in the technology, tools and resources that prevent copyright infringement on our platforms".