Singapore's parliament passed an amendment to the Copyright Act on Tuesday to allow copyright owners to obtain blocking orders against infringing websites.

Under the amendment, copyright owners can apply directly to the court for such blocking orders without having to first establish liability on the part of the network service provider for copyright infringement.

Previously, copyright owners need to send a take-down notice to the network service provider requesting them to disable the access or remove the copyright infringing material.

Senior Minister of State for Law Indranee Rajah said the amendment will give copyright owners greater ability to protect their rights in the online space.

She said that online piracy is a global issue.

"The prevalence of online privacy in Singapore turns customers away from legitimate content and adversely affects Singapore's creative sector," she said. "It can also undermine our reputation as a society that respects the protection of intellectual property. "