GIPC Commends ICE’s Continued Action Against Rogue Websites
Recently, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) initiated another round of domain seizures of rogue websites. ICE’s latest and fifth round of seizures, netted 5 domain names that were being abused as rogue websites aimed at IP theft of illegal digital content and offering knock-off consumer products. The GIPC commends ICE for their diligence and dedication to safeguarding the American spirit of ingenuity and creativity, as well as protecting the public from harmful, dangerous consumer products.
The actions by ICE to increase IP enforcement for counterfeit goods by shutting down rogue websites send a strong message to criminals that their illicit activities will not be tolerated. Some of the sites that have been seized in the past by ICE have stayed down. Others have come back on different domains, determined to continue their theft. The problem is big and not easily solved, but the determination and perseverance being demonstrated by ICE is exactly what we need.
ICE’s work is protecting the creative and innovative sectors of our economy and the millions of hard-working Americans that those sectors employ. However, ICE’s efforts can only stretch as far as the jurisdiction of U.S. law. Many rogue site operators are outside the United States, beyond the reach of our law enforcement authorities and our courts. From across the sea, they reach into our homes and businesses via the Internet to steal from us. The PROTECT IP Act can change all that. We look forward for Congressional action on this bill soon.
