150 More Domains Seized as Authorities Crackdown on Counterfeit Goods
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(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — About 150 domain names linked to websites allegedly selling counterfeit goods have been seized by federal authorities, according to a report Monday on Wired’s Threat Level blog.
According to the report, authorities have seized 350 domains since the start of a forfeiture program a year ago. In November 2010, the US Department of Homeland Security shut down 70 websites that were involved in either the sale of counterfeit goods or the distribution of pirated content.
Wired says that federal authorities are seizing the domains under the same law the government uses to seize drug houses, bank accounts and other property tied to illegal activity. The report says authorities are able to seize the domains because VeriSign and the Public Internet Registry, which control the .net, .com and .org domains, are US-based firms.
According to the report, undercover agents bought counterfeit jerseys, golf equipment, DVD sets, footwear, handbags and sunglasses from the websites before obtaining seizure orders from federal judges. In order to get the property back, the owner has to prove that the items were not used to commit crimes. A full list of the seized domains can be found here.
The Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act was approved by the US Senate Judiciary Committee last year to enable law enforcement to stop sites selling counterfeit goods.
“Through this operation we are aggressively targeting those who are selling counterfeit goods for their own personal gain while costing our economy much-needed revenue and jobs,” Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement. “Intellectual property crimes harm businesses and consumers, alike, threatening economic opportunity and financial stability, and today we have sent a clear message that the department will remain ever vigilant in protecting the public’s economic welfare and public safety through robust intellectual property enforcement.”
The bill has been controversial, and many in the Internet community have called it out for the negative effects it could have on the domain name system. Oregon senator Ron Wyden has been vocal in his disagreement to the domain takedown, and claims the process does not give websites an opportunity to defend themselves.
Wired says that one site has unsuccessfully challenged a forfeiture in federal court. Rojadirecta’s .com and .org domains were seized in January for pirated streams of professional sports. The site is apparently a discussion board for members to talk about sports, and has a section where users can post links to downloads of recorded sporting events.
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