On Cyber Monday, Feds Seized Domain Names of 150 Websites Accused of Selling Knockoff Goods
The federal government seized the domain names of 150 websites on Cyber Monday in an effort to fight the sale of counterfeit goods.
Before the seizure, law enforcement officers bought knockoff products such as sports jerseys and shoes as part of the undercover sting called “In Our Sites,” according to a press release and The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times. Since the launch of the operation in June 2010, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has seized 350 domain names.
Lanny Breuer, the assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s criminal division, told reporters that in most cases, the website operators do not challenge seizure of the domain name, according to The BLT account. Out of the 350 website names seized, 116 have been forfeited to the government. A public service announcement posted on the 116 websites warns the public about the economic impact of trademark counterfeiting and copyright infringement.
