Network operator T-Mobile's Austrian branch has declined to block access to notorious illegal torrent files download site The Pirate Bay despite a request from LSG, a local music rights group.

For the unfamiliar, The Pirate Bay has battled immense opposition in Austria this past month. A ruling from the Commercial Court of Vienna decreed that A1 Telekom, a rival network operator in the region, block its subscribers' access to the questionable site.

The Pirate Bay has been in the news for being pulled down by Swedish authorities and resurrecting after a sabbatical as previously reported. The torrent site keeps changing its web location frequently to evade legal action. Therefore, it might come as a surprise as to why T-Mobile is not complying with requests from LSG to block the notorious site.

T-Mobile Austria's spokesperson Helmut Spudich confirmed that the carrier will not be blocking the site.

"We will not comply with this request and access to The Pirate Bay will not be blocked," said Spudich.

T-Mobile is under no obligation to fulfil LSG's request and implement blocking measures because the court's ruling is applicable only to A1 Telekom. The carrier's Austrian branch wants clarity on the matter before it takes any steps.

"We don't want to block our customers to be blocked inadvertently and would like a clarification on the correct procedure," Spudich adds.

Moreover, the carrier also opines that the Austrian authorities should put in place clear legal regulations that pertain to Internet blocking in the country.

While LSG has sent out the letter to several ISPs in Austria, no other entity barring T-Mobile has given a public declaration on their stance. The other Internet providers have neither voiced if they are willing to block The Pirate Bay voluntarily on their own accord.

Interestingly, the controversial torrent site went down on Saturday, August 29, for a few hours and caused some panic among users, only to go back up and running soon afterwards.

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