The City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) and Nominet, the UK’s central registry to all .UK domains, have suspended 3610 criminal websites associated with fraud and the supply of counterfeit goods during 2015, as disclosed in a recent report.
Nominet reports that the partnership accounted for the majority (93 per cent) of all website suspensions undertaken by associated law enforcement agencies and regulators through Nominet’s process. Since PIPCU’s launch in September 2013, more than 8774 criminal websites have been suspended. Each site has come to PIPCU’s notice for investigation via referrals from brands, stakeholders, other law enforcement agencies and the public.
The vast majority of these websites purported to sell branded sportswear, namely trainer shoes. Other notable fake goods sold via counterfeit sites are handbags, jewellery, electrical goods and fashion accessories.
The head of PIPCU, Detective Chief Inspector Peter Ratcliffe of the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, said: “The success of the PIPCU and Nominet partnership is built on combining solid traditional detective work with technological expertise at the initial stages of every investigation. Our work does not cease once a suspension has been made. We use enhanced data to establish and alert victims of identity theft. We will take immediate action to suspend websites when there is clear evidence of associations to criminal networks and risk to the public from dangerous counterfeit goods. Despite the sheer volume of counterfeit sites appearing on a daily basis, we are able to take fast time action against them with complete backing from brands and partners. Protecting business and consumers is imbedded in everything we do as we continue to take our disruption methods to the next level.”
Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Minister for intellectual property, said: “For too long counterfeiters have exploited the size and anonymity of the web. The Government, PIPCU, and our other partners are fighting back, helping to systematically shut down illicit online trade. The sale of counterfeit goods harms consumers and businesses alike. I am very glad to see that PIPCU’s hard work in this area is making a significant impact and disrupting online criminality.”
And Russell Haworth, CEO, Nominet, said: “Nominet is committed to ensuring .UK is a safe and trusted space and our partnership with PIPCU has enabled us to make great steps in achieving that goal. The number of domains used for illegal purposes is a very small proportion of the 10.7 million domains in the .UK register, and the very low number of reversal requests in this period also suggests that the careful processes we have in place are working well. We will continue working with law enforcement agencies to ensure .UK remains a safe and trusted space for businesses and consumers, and a key driver of the UK digital economy.”
