Spain’s Second Section of the Intellectual Property Commission, a body within the country’s Ministry of Culture, has ordered the blocking of several domains belonging to Archive.today, a web archiving service, according to a report from Reclaim The Net.
As a result of the order, most internet users in Spain who attempt to visit the site are redirected to a government-run page rather than the archiving service itself, the report says.
The redirect page displays the heading “ESTÁ USTED INTENTANDO ACCEDER A UN SITIO WEB ILEGAL,” which translates to “YOU ARE TRYING TO ACCESS AN ILLEGAL WEBSITE.” The page accuses visitors of “facilitating illegal access to content protected by intellectual property rights” simply by trying to reach the site, according to the report.
According to the source text, the full notice reads: “El acceso a esta página ha sido bloqueado mediante Resolución de la Sección Segunda de la Comisión de Propiedad Intelectual” (“Access to this page has been blocked by a resolution of the Second Section of the Intellectual Property Commission”), citing the site’s role in “facilitar ilegalmente el acceso a contenidos protegidos por derechos de propiedad intelectual” (“illegally facilitating access to content protected by intellectual property rights”).
The page further warns users that by attempting to access the blocked content, they are “contributing to an illegal and criminal activity, and putting at risk your own security, that of your data and devices,” per the translated text cited in the report.
Archive.today is a web archiving service that allows users to save and view snapshots of webpages, a function commonly used to preserve copies of articles, posts, and other online content, including material that may later be removed or altered. The source text does not specify which particular content or copyright dispute prompted the Intellectual Property Commission’s order, nor does it detail how many domains or mirrors are affected beyond stating that “several” were targeted.
The report does not include a response from Archive.today’s operators, nor does it clarify whether the block applies nationwide across all Spanish internet service providers or only to some. It also does not specify when the blocking order was issued or when it took effect.
The source text does not provide additional detail on Spain’s broader approach to blocking websites accused of facilitating copyright infringement, nor does it reference prior actions taken against Archive.today or similar services in other countries.
Key facts
- Spain’s Second Section of the Intellectual Property Commission, part of the Ministry of Culture, ordered blocks on several Archive.today domains.
- Users attempting to access the site are redirected to a government page labeling it an ‘illegal website.’
- The page states the block was imposed via resolution for ‘illegally facilitating access to content protected by intellectual property rights.’
- The redirect page warns users they are contributing to illegal activity and risking their own data and device security.