The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement conducted six operations targeting websites selling counterfeit goods or pirated digital products during 2011, from Victoria Espinel, the White House intellectual-property enforcement coordinator.
One of the biggest operations against digital piracy came in February 2011, when the agencies seized 10 domain names that allegedly provided users access to unauthorized streaming telecasts of professional football, basketball, wrestling and ultimate fighting events. Operators of two of the sites face copyright infringement charges in New York, Espinel's report said.
"With the continued leadership of the Obama Administration and the support of Congress, we can ensure that U.S. innovation and creativity are protected around the world and allow Americans to do what they do best -- out-innovate, out-compete, and continue to lead in the global marketplace in this decade and beyond," Espinel wrote. "Protecting what we invent, create and produce is always important, but at this time, when every job matters, it is especially important that we stop theft that harms our businesses and threatens jobs here at home."
A representative of the Motion Picture Association of America, asked if the numbers show that counterfeiting online is a more serious problem than digital piracy, said it's important for federal agencies to combat both types of infringement.
"Counterfeit goods and digital theft are two parts of the same problem: foreign rogue websites," said Kate Bedingfield, the MPAA's director of strategic communications. "The sale of counterfeit goods that are dangerous to American consumers and the theft of American digital products are both facilitated by criminal websites operating overseas. That's why it's so critically important for all parties involved to come together to find a solution that curbs these dangerous illegal sites."