Officers from the City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) have visited organisations advertising on websites involved in digital piracy.
Eight organisations were visited by PIPCU officers and representatives from Operation Creative partners including FACT, BPI (British Phonographic Industry), IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) and PRS for Music.
Brands, advertising agencies and networks were visited as part of a multi-agency initiative known as Operation Creative. This sees the police working with both the creative and advertising industries to tackle websites involved in digital piracy.
The initiative, which was launched in 2013, compromises several tactical options, including placing piracy sites on an Infringing Website List (IWL) which is then shared with advertisers, agencies and other intermediaries so that they can cease advert placement on these illegal websites.
During the visits, the eight companies were made aware of their involvement in the placement of ads on copyright infringing sites. All of the organisations were keen to support Operation Creative and have pledged to sign up to the IWL to ensure advert placement from their brand and clients do not appear on the 1,232 websites listed on the IWL.
Detective constable Steven Salway, Operation Creative’s lead officer, said, ‘Operation Creative is key to ending the funding of websites involved in digital piracy.
‘It is important we tackle this issue, not only for brands and businesses’ reputation, but for consumers too. When adverts from established brands appear on these sites, they lend them a look of legitimacy. By working with industry to discourage reputable brands from advertising on piracy sites, we will help consumers realise these sites are neither official nor legal.’
Since launch, Operation Creative has disrupted advertising revenues on illegal websites across the globe and has seen a significant decrease (73 percent) in advertising from the UK’s top ad spending companies to websites involved in digital piracy.
Visit getitrightfromagenuinesite.org for more information.
Eight organisations were visited by PIPCU officers and representatives from Operation Creative partners including FACT, BPI (British Phonographic Industry), IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) and PRS for Music.
Brands, advertising agencies and networks were visited as part of a multi-agency initiative known as Operation Creative. This sees the police working with both the creative and advertising industries to tackle websites involved in digital piracy.
The initiative, which was launched in 2013, compromises several tactical options, including placing piracy sites on an Infringing Website List (IWL) which is then shared with advertisers, agencies and other intermediaries so that they can cease advert placement on these illegal websites.
During the visits, the eight companies were made aware of their involvement in the placement of ads on copyright infringing sites. All of the organisations were keen to support Operation Creative and have pledged to sign up to the IWL to ensure advert placement from their brand and clients do not appear on the 1,232 websites listed on the IWL.
Detective constable Steven Salway, Operation Creative’s lead officer, said, ‘Operation Creative is key to ending the funding of websites involved in digital piracy.
‘It is important we tackle this issue, not only for brands and businesses’ reputation, but for consumers too. When adverts from established brands appear on these sites, they lend them a look of legitimacy. By working with industry to discourage reputable brands from advertising on piracy sites, we will help consumers realise these sites are neither official nor legal.’
Since launch, Operation Creative has disrupted advertising revenues on illegal websites across the globe and has seen a significant decrease (73 percent) in advertising from the UK’s top ad spending companies to websites involved in digital piracy.
Visit getitrightfromagenuinesite.org for more information.
