The work of Operation Creative, the initiative from the new Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), has seen 40 piracy websites suspended.
According to PIPCU, the national and international websites were suspended by domain name registrars after being contacted by PIPCU officials.
PIPCU’s work, alongside the advertising industry, to disrupt ad revenues on these copyright infringing websites showed a reduction of 12 percent in the amount of major brand advertising featured.
Bob Wishart, from PIPCU, said: ‘Operation Creative is being run by PIPCU and the digital and advertising sectors to really get to grips with a criminal industry that is making substantial profits by providing and actively promoting access to illegally obtained and copyrighted material.
‘Together we have created a process that first and foremost encourages offenders to change their behaviour so they are operating within the law. However, if they refuse to comply we now have the means to persuade businesses to move their advertising to different platforms and, if offending continues, for registrars to suspend the websites.’
Operation Creative began earlier this year as a partnership between the City of London Police, the UK advertising industry represented by the Internet Advertising Bureau UK, the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising.
Rights holders are represented by Federation Against Copyright Theft, BPI (British Recorded Music Industry), International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and The Publishers Association.
PIPCU is based at City of London Police and is being funded by the Intellectual Property Office.
According to PIPCU, the national and international websites were suspended by domain name registrars after being contacted by PIPCU officials.
PIPCU’s work, alongside the advertising industry, to disrupt ad revenues on these copyright infringing websites showed a reduction of 12 percent in the amount of major brand advertising featured.
Bob Wishart, from PIPCU, said: ‘Operation Creative is being run by PIPCU and the digital and advertising sectors to really get to grips with a criminal industry that is making substantial profits by providing and actively promoting access to illegally obtained and copyrighted material.
‘Together we have created a process that first and foremost encourages offenders to change their behaviour so they are operating within the law. However, if they refuse to comply we now have the means to persuade businesses to move their advertising to different platforms and, if offending continues, for registrars to suspend the websites.’
Operation Creative began earlier this year as a partnership between the City of London Police, the UK advertising industry represented by the Internet Advertising Bureau UK, the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising.
Rights holders are represented by Federation Against Copyright Theft, BPI (British Recorded Music Industry), International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and The Publishers Association.
PIPCU is based at City of London Police and is being funded by the Intellectual Property Office.
