📰 New article from TorrentFreak
WIPO Alert Pay Aims to Cut Off Piracy Profits with Help from Payment Providers
Money talks, and the UN’s intellectual property watchdog is finally teaching pirate sites a harsh lesson in financial silence. For years, WIPO has blocked ads from reaching illegal sites, but that only cuts off one revenue stream. Now, they’re targeting the wallet directly with a new system called “WIPO Alert Pay.”
Think of it as a digital chargeback for the entire industry. The system relies on voluntary cooperation between rightsholders and major payment processors like Mastercard and PayPal. When a rights holder spots a pirate site using their payment gateway, they flag it. WIPO then performs a quick “formalities check” to ensure the paperwork is in order before passing the baton to the banks.
The process isn’t instant, but it’s methodical. After a brief notice period where site owners can respond, uncooperative domains get listed. The payment providers then decide whether to freeze accounts or cut ties based on their own terms.
The pilot results are surprisingly promising. In a test running from late 2024 to mid-2025, the system successfully flagged 35 sites, leading to the removal of 71% of the problematic listings. WIPO admits this isn’t a legal court ruling, but a secure hosting platform for complaints. With the manual pilot proving effective, the organization is now automating the workflow. It’s a clear signal that if you want to profit from piracy, you’d better find a bank that doesn’t mind losing your business.