Judicial Website Blocking Orders in Paraguay: First Criminal Injunctions Targeting Stream‑Ripping Services

In a landmark step for Paraguay’s copyright enforcement system, on October 2^nd, 2025, the Criminal Court of Guarantees for Economic Crimes in Asunción—a court with jurisdiction over intellectual property matters—issued Resolutions No. 449/2025 and 450/2025, ordering internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to several websites engaged in stream‑ripping of musical and audiovisual content without authorization from rightsholders.

These are the first judicially mandated DNS/IP blocking orders ever adopted in Paraguay in the field of copyright. The measures were granted in the context of criminal proceedings initiated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ministerio Público), following a complaint lodged by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) through its local representative, the Sociedad de Gestión de Productores Fonográficos del Paraguay (SGP).

Nature of the Infringing Activity

The complaint identified a group of online services—accessible from Paraguay under domains such as y2mate.is, ytmp3.nu and mp3juices.bz—that enabled users to extract or download music and video files directly from legitimate streaming platforms (a practice known as stream‑ripping).

According to IFPI and SGP, this activity constitutes digital piracy, as it circumvents technological protection measures and reproduces works without the consent of authors, performers, or producers.

Legal Framework and Reasoning

Relying on Article 110 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which authorizes precautionary measures to prevent the continuation of criminal offenses, and on Articles 3, 4, and 5 of Copyright Law No. 1328/1998, the Court found sufficient grounds to adopt urgent blocking measures.

The orders, issued ex parte, instructed ISPs to block access from Paraguayan territory to the listed domains through DNS or IP blocking—or any other effective technical method—within five working days, and to report compliance to the Prosecutor’s Office.

While Paraguay has no specific legislation on online site‑blocking, the Court grounded its decision in the principle of effectiveness of IP enforcement derived from international instruments such as the TRIPS Agreement and the WIPO Internet Treaties. Importantly, ISPs were treated as neutral technical intermediaries, not as infringers, and retained the right to request judicial review.

Significance and Outlook

These resolutions mark the first judicial recognition in Paraguay that stream‑ripping services can be subject to blocking injunctions as a preventive measure against copyright infringement.

Although limited to criminal proceedings, the decisions may serve as a reference point for future civil or administrative actions addressing digital piracy.

The resolutions  also illustrate a careful balance between urgency and due‑process safeguards, emphasizing proportionality and technical feasibility. This approach aligns Paraguay with the growing body of international jurisprudence—such as the EU’s Telekabel Wien decision—favoring targeted, rights‑respecting measures against large‑scale online infringement.

Conclusion

By ordering the first judicial blocking of stream‑ripping websites, Paraguay’s judiciary has taken a historic step in adapting copyright enforcement to the digital era.

The rulings highlight both the potential and the challenges of combating online piracy through judicial intervention, paving the way for further legislative debate on permanent, transparent, and proportionate mechanisms for online IP enforcement in the jurisdiciton.