The Federal Court of Canada has issued the first site-blocking order in the country’s history obtained on behalf of the music industry, targeting three stream-ripping services that siphon copyrighted audio from licensed streaming platforms.
The ruling, issued on Monday (June 15), was secured by Music Canada – the trade association representing Canada’s three major record labels: Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada, and Warner Music Canada.
Stream ripping is the practice of inputting the URL of a track or video on a licensed streaming service – including YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music – into a third-party website, which then converts and downloads a permanent audio file, cutting artists and rightsholders out of the royalties those streams would otherwise generate.
The order, which you can read here, requires nine major Canadian internet service providers – including Bell, Rogers, and TekSavvy – to block access to the targeted domains using DNS blocking or rerouting, for a period of two years.
All nine ISPs are also required to display a notification to visitors of the blocked domains explaining why they are no longer accessible.
Justice Fothergill of the Federal Court found that the operators had infringed copyright by providing services with the “sole function” of enabling unauthorized reproduction, in violation of Canada‘s Copyright Act.
According to the court order, the stream-ripping platforms “circumvent the security measures implemented by YouTube in order to create a permanent, downloadable copy of audio or video content from the stream provided on YouTube, without authorization by YouTube or the Applicants.”
Alongside the blocking order, the court issued a permanent injunction requiring the operators – unidentified “John Doe” respondents – to cease all infringing activities and deactivate the domains, which include Y2mate.ws, YTmp3.lat, Savefrom.space, and Spowload.cc.
The order carries a provision allowing Music Canada to expand the blocklist to cover future copycat domains without requiring a new full hearing.
Rightsholders need only file an affidavit identifying a new infringing domain; if none of the nine ISPs object within ten business days, the court can expand the blocklist without further proceedings.
“Music Canada is committed to taking action against bad actors who deliberately steal from artists and rightsholders,” said Patrick Rogers, CEO of Music Canada. “Our goal is to ensure that artists are paid when their music is played.”
“Preventing stream ripping services from operating is one way in which we can help do that,” Rogers added.
“I believe artists should be paid when their music is played. To create the best possible environment for that to happen, we have to shut down sites that promote stealing music.”
Patrick Rogers, Music Canada
In a separate statement following the ruling, Patrick Rogers wrote: “I believe artists should be paid when their music is played. To create the best possible environment for that to happen, we have to shut down sites that promote stealing music.”
“Big thank you to everyone who worked with us to make sure that artists are paid when their music is played,” Rogers wrote, in a statement also sent to Billboard Canada.
Monday‘s ruling was the culmination of a broader enforcement effort that preceded the court action.
Before filing, Music Canada had issued successful cease-and-desist notices that closed or blocked four separate stream-ripping sites operated by three services – including what Music Canada describes as the most popular stream-ripping destination in Canada, which had been recording upwards of 1.7 million monthly visits.
Music Canada says online streaming now accounts for more than 75% of recorded music revenue in the country.
“Stream ripping… cuts artists out of the royalties they’ve earned by siphoning listeners away from legitimate streaming services, and it directly threatens the foundation of Canada‘s music marketplace.”
Music Canada
“Stream ripping is one of the most widespread forms of music piracy today,” Music Canada said in its announcement. “It cuts artists out of the royalties they’ve earned by siphoning listeners away from legitimate streaming services, and it directly threatens the foundation of Canada‘s music marketplace.”
Canada‘s Federal Court is not new to site-blocking orders.
The court has previously issued injunctions targeting operators of unauthorized live-sports streams – including broadcasts of the NHL – establishing the legal framework that Monday‘s music industry ruling follows.
The three services named in the order – Y2Mate, YTMP3, and Savefrom – are themselves copycats.
The original versions of those brands had been made inaccessible to Canadian users in earlier enforcement actions; the original Savefrom.net voluntarily blocked Canadian visitors under pressure from rightsholders years before the court order.
Justice Fothergill‘s order acknowledged this cycle explicitly, noting that the named respondents “operate platforms that are themselves ‘copycats’ of similarly branded stream ripping services that were previously deactivated, and additional copycat platforms have already begun to appear on the Internet.”
Site-blocking orders have been used against stream-ripping services in the UK, Brazil, Australia, and across Europe.
In October 2025, the IFPI — which has described stream ripping as one of the most prevalent forms of online music piracy — secured the permanent shutdown of Y2mate.com and 11 other stream-ripping services through targeted enforcement action in Vietnam.
On June 15, 2023, the Federal Court of Canada issued the country’s first-ever site-blocking order aimed at protecting the music industry, specifically targeting three stream-ripping services that illegally extract audio from licensed streaming platforms. This significant ruling was secured by Music Canada, the trade association representing major record labels including Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada, and Warner Music Canada.
Stream ripping refers to the practice of taking the URL of a track or video from licensed streaming services like YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Music, and using a third-party website to convert it into a downloadable audio file. This process allows users to access music without compensating the original artists or rights holders, thereby depriving them of the royalties they would typically earn from legitimate streams.
The court order mandates that nine major Canadian internet service providers (ISPs), including Bell, Rogers, and TekSavvy, block access to the specified domains through DNS blocking or rerouting for a period of two years. Additionally, these ISPs must display a notification to users attempting to access the blocked domains, explaining the reason for the inaccessibility.
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Justice Fothergill of the Federal Court determined that the operators of the stream-ripping services infringed copyright laws by providing platforms that exclusively facilitate unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted material, violating Canada’s Copyright Act. The ruling highlighted that these platforms circumvent security measures implemented by YouTube to create permanent downloadable copies of audio or video content without authorization.
In addition to the site-blocking order, the court issued a permanent injunction against the unidentified operators, referred to as « John Doe » respondents, requiring them to cease all infringing activities and deactivate the targeted domains, which include Y2mate.ws, YTmp3.lat, Savefrom.space, and Spowload.cc. Importantly, the order allows Music Canada to expand the list of blocked sites to include future infringing domains without requiring a new hearing. Rights holders need only to file an affidavit identifying a new infringing domain, and if none of the ISPs object within ten business days, the court can expand the blocklist without further proceedings.
Patrick Rogers, CEO of Music Canada, stated, “Music Canada is committed to taking action against bad actors who deliberately steal from artists and rightsholders,” emphasizing the importance of ensuring that artists are compensated for their work. He reiterated the organization’s mission to create a fair environment for artists, asserting that preventing stream-ripping services is a crucial step in achieving that goal.
The ruling was the result of a broader enforcement strategy by Music Canada, which had previously issued successful cease-and-desist notices that led to the closure of four other stream-ripping sites operated by the same services. One of these sites was noted to be the most popular stream-ripping destination in Canada, attracting approximately 1.7 million monthly visits. Music Canada pointed out that online streaming now constitutes over 75% of recorded music revenue in the country, underscoring the economic significance of protecting artists’ rights.
Music Canada described stream ripping as one of the most widespread forms of music piracy today, stating that it undermines the royalties artists earn by diverting listeners away from legitimate streaming services and posing a threat to the foundation of Canada’s music marketplace.
While this ruling marks a first for the music industry in Canada, the Federal Court is not unfamiliar with site-blocking orders. The court has previously addressed unauthorized live sports streams, which established a legal precedent for the music industry ruling. The three services targeted by the order—Y2Mate, YTMP3, and Savefrom—are considered copycats, as the original versions of these services had already been blocked for Canadian users in prior enforcement actions. Notably, the original Savefrom.net had voluntarily blocked Canadian visitors years before the court order in response to pressure from rights holders.
Site-blocking orders have been utilized against stream-ripping services in other countries, including the UK, Brazil, Australia, and various European nations. In October 2025, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) successfully secured the permanent shutdown of Y2mate.com and 11 other stream-ripping services through targeted enforcement actions in Vietnam.
Music Canada’s enforcement efforts extend beyond site-blocking; in March 2024, the organization collaborated with the IFPI to shut down nine streaming manipulation sites operating in Canada after filing a complaint with the Canadian Competition Bureau. As of 2025, Canada ranks as the ninth-largest recorded music market globally, with a year-over-year revenue growth of 5.6%, according to the IFPI’s Global Music Report.
In summary, the Federal Court of Canada’s ruling represents a significant milestone in combating music piracy through stream ripping. By blocking access to infringing sites and issuing permanent injunctions, the court aims to protect artists’ rights and ensure they receive fair compensation for their work. The ruling is part of Music Canada’s broader strategy to uphold the integrity of the music industry in an increasingly digital landscape.
