Canada Just Ordered ISPs to Block Stream-Ripping Sites: Why It Matters for Your Royalties
The Federal Court of Canada issued the country's first music-industry site-blocking order, forcing nine ISPs to block stream-ripping domains that strip royalties from your streams.
Short answer
Canada's Federal Court ordered nine major ISPs to block four stream-ripping domains for two years, the first music-industry site-blocking order of its kind in the country. The order targets services that turn licensed streams into downloads. It does not create a direct artist payment, but supports enforcement against royalty-avoiding use.
Key takeaways
- On June 15, 2026, the Federal Court of Canada issued the country's first music-industry site-blocking order.
- Nine major ISPs, including Bell, Rogers, and TekSavvy, must block four stream-ripping domains via DNS for two years.
- Stream ripping turns a licensed stream into a permanent download, cutting the artist out of the royalty that stream would have paid.
- A fast-track provision lets Music Canada add copycat domains without a full new hearing each time.
What happened?
On June 15, 2026, the Federal Court of Canada issued the country’s first music-industry site-blocking order. Secured by Music Canada (the trade body for Sony, Universal, and Warner’s Canadian arms), it requires nine major Canadian internet providers, including Bell, Rogers, and TekSavvy, to block four stream-ripping domains (Y2mate.ws, YTmp3.lat, Savefrom.space, and Spowload.cc) via DNS for two years, and to show visitors a notice explaining the block.
Justice Fothergill found the operators had infringed copyright by running services whose “sole function” was enabling unauthorized reproduction, in violation of Canada’s Copyright Act, and issued a permanent injunction against the anonymous “John Doe” operators. A dynamic provision lets Music Canada add new copycat domains by affidavit; if none of the nine ISPs object within ten business days, the blocklist expands without a new hearing.
Why independent artists should care
Stream ripping works by feeding a track’s URL from a service like Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube into a third-party site that converts it into a downloadable file. Every time that happens instead of a real stream, the royalty that would have reached you and your rightsholders disappears.
| Legitimate stream | Stream-rip | |
|---|---|---|
| Royalty paid to you | Yes | No |
| Counts toward charts | Yes | No |
| Funds your next release | Yes | No (revenue is siphoned) |
Share of Canada's recorded-music revenue that now comes from streaming
Monthly visits to Canada's most popular stream-ripping site
Major ISPs ordered to block the domains
Length of the DNS-blocking order
I believe artists should be paid when their music is played.
With streaming now making up the large majority of recorded-music revenue in Canada, that leakage matters more for independent artists, who rely on every stream, than the major-label headlines suggest.
What to do now
The practical move
Nothing is required to benefit from the order. This is enforcement on your behalf. Keep pointing fans toward legitimate streaming and purchase links, where your royalties actually accrue, and make sure your catalog’s copyright registration and metadata are in order so you are positioned to collect what enforcement protects.
What is still unclear?
The whack-a-mole problem
The blocked services are themselves copycats of sites shut down before, and new copycats appear quickly, which is exactly why the order includes a fast-track way to add domains. It is too early to say how much royalty revenue this recovers, especially for independent catalogs rather than major labels, or whether similar enforcement will extend to other forms of leakage over time.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What did Canada's stream-ripping order block?
The Federal Court order requires nine named internet service providers to block four stream-ripping domains for two years.
What is stream ripping?
It uses a service or tool to turn a streamed recording into a downloadable file, separating later listening from the licensed platform where royalties and access rules apply.
Will the site-blocking order pay artists directly?
No. It is an enforcement measure. Any financial benefit would be indirect, through reduced unauthorized downloading or increased use of licensed services.
Can blocked stream-ripping sites return under new domains?
They can try. Site-blocking orders usually need domain monitoring and legal mechanisms for dealing with evasion, mirrors, or replacement services.
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