Police initiative tackles online piracy

Internet piracy and websites infringing intellectual property pose a growing threat to businesses in the UK. The City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), amongst other issues, reviews online activity that may infringe intellectual property rights and takes action against infringers in cases where it considers there is a significant benefit to the public of it doing so.

PIPCU has recently taken steps to encourage eight UK companies to cease to advertise on websites PIPCU has identified as infringing copyright. The eight companies include both brands and advertising agencies. The discussions form part of a wider operation by PIPCU title "Operation Creative", under which PIPCU is seeking to work with the creative and advertising industries to counter digital piracy. PIPCU released a statement confirming its meeting with the companies last week in which they were made aware of their involvement in advertising on piracy websites, and upon being notified of the same reportedly expressed their enthusiasm to assist in tackling online piracy.

Operation Creative targets piracy sites by seeking to cut the funding and "look of legitimacy" that legitimate advertising lends piracy websites, according to the operation's lead Detective Constable Steven Salway, as reported by World Intellectual Property Review.

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