December 1, 2014
European, US and other law enforcement agencies from 19 countries have seized 292 domain names allegedly associated with sites selling counterfeit merchandise.
With the holiday shopping season now in full swing, the seizures will result in fewer consumers receiving fake brand name goods says Europol.
"Working with our international partners on operations like this shows the true global impact of IP crime," said National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (NIPRCC) Acting Director Bruce Foucart.
The NIPRCC coordinates the U.S. government's enforcement of intellectual property laws.
"Counterfeiters take advantage of the holiday season and sell cheap fakes to unsuspecting consumers everywhere. Consumers need to protect themselves, their families, and their personal financial information from the criminal networks operating these bogus sites," said Mr Foucart.
People visiting the seized domains will be either shown a banner detailing the seizure, or simply will not be able to access the site involved.
The seizures were part of project 'In Our Sites (IOS) Transatlantic V' an operation coordinated by Europol in cooperation with agencies from 19 countries. This latest swoop brings the total number of IOS domain names seized to 1,829 since the project commenced in November 2012.
"The infringements of intellectual property rights is a growing problem in our economies and for millions of producers and consumers. Europol is committed to working with its international partners to crack down on the criminal networks responsible for this illegal activity," says Rob Wainwright, Director of Europol.
This latest operation was the result of a lead gathering exercise under way since August 2012.
Consumers and trademark holders are encouraged to report counterfeit products and websites selling fake items to law enforcement agencies in their country.
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