A computer user in session/FILE
The High Court ordered the five — Sky, Everything Everywhere, TalkTalk, O2 and Virgin Media — to block the site within weeks after a February court ruling that both operators and users of The Pirate Bay infringe copyright.
A sixth firm, BT, is in discussions with music industry body the BPI, which lodged the court case, and has asked for more time to consider its position.
The Swedish-based Pirate Bay, which calls itself "the galaxy's most resilient BitTorrent site", uses the BitTorrent protocol — in which a "swarm" of computers download and upload parts of files at the same time — to let users share content.
In practice, critics say, it enables mass illegal distribution of copyrighted material including music, movies and games.
"The High Court has confirmed that The Pirate Bay infringes copyright on a massive scale. Its operators line their pockets by commercially exploiting music and other creative works without paying a penny to the people who created them," said BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor.
"This is wrong — musicians, sound engineers and video editors deserve to be paid for their work just like everyone else."
He urged Britons to use legal digital music services instead.
"Sites like The Pirate Bay destroy jobs in the UK and undermine investment in new British artists," Taylor added.
A spokeswoman for Virgin Media said the company would comply with any court order but stressed the need for "compelling legal alternatives" to file-sharing, citing its deal with streaming service Spotify.
In January US authorities shut down MegaUpload.com, another major file-sharing and hosting site, over copyright infringement.
The Pirate Bay says it is campaigning for "freedom of speech" and copyright systems that benefit the public. Fans of the Pirate Bay and similar sites launched the Pirate Party in Sweden in 2006, campaigning for copyright reform.
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