Europol Shuts Down More Than 20,000 Counterfeit Product Websites
Law enforcement agencies have seized over 20,500 website domains linked to the sale of counterfeit goods. These domains were associated with sites selling fake products, including luxury items, electronics, sportswear, and pharmaceuticals. The sites were also involved in piracy on social media and e-commerce platforms.
Interpol led the joint operation with support from the “Intellectual Property Crime Coalition,” coordinated by Europol. The operation also included the U.S. National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center), the Department of Justice, the FBI, and authorities from 27 EU countries.
Operation “In Our Sites”
This global joint operation, called “In Our Sites,” was first launched several years ago and has gained momentum since then. The 2017 operation was the most successful to date, with 20,500 domain names seized. For comparison, the combined total for 2015 and 2016 was 7,776 domains.
The most common counterfeit goods found on these sites included watches, bags, clothing, cosmetics, software, DVDs, and games. Most of the criminals operated on black markets in the darknet to evade law enforcement.
Europol’s Mission and International Cooperation
Europol’s main goal is to “make the internet safer for consumers.” To achieve this, the agency enlisted the help of various countries and private sector stakeholders, including many brands and anti-piracy organizations.
Europol Executive Director Rob Wainwright emphasized the importance and effectiveness of cooperation among all involved parties. He stated that the agency will continue to work with partners to combat intellectual property theft.
European authorities now aim to involve not only law enforcement but also major IT companies, international agencies, and private sector participants in their operations and investigations of darknet users and sellers. They are striving to reduce the number of darknet marketplaces, but acknowledge that this is a very challenging task.
Counterfeit Trade Statistics and Ongoing Efforts
A recently published Europol report showed that between 2011 and 2015, medicines worth over 170 million euros were traded on darknet markets. According to the International Trademark Association, in 2016 alone, counterfeit goods worth about $460 billion were sold worldwide.
Europol has not yet disclosed the names of the seized websites. According to a spokesperson, this is part of an agreement among the parties involved in the operation. The seized domains now display law enforcement warning banners.
Raising Awareness About Online Counterfeiting
Europol is currently running a campaign to raise awareness about online counterfeiting. The main reason is that even tech-savvy users can have trouble distinguishing fakes. The agency has started releasing informational videos about the risks of counterfeit pharmaceuticals ordered from darknet marketplaces.
They have also created a special web page to help consumers identify sites selling counterfeit goods. The page includes resources on the methods used by online counterfeit criminals.