“Intellectual property crimes are not victimless. The theft of ideas and the sale of counterfeit goods threaten economic opportunities and financial stability, suppress innovation and destroy jobs."
Attorney General Eric Holder.
Surprise! Turns out that the takedown of a few rap-related sites is part of a much larger enforcement effort. In fact, a total of 82 sites have been obliterated over the past few days, according to details shared Monday morning by Attorney General Eric Holder and John Morton, director of the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement division. This goes far beyond music, and also includes sites related to pirated film,fashion, software, and athletic apparel.
Sounds quick-and-harsh, though serious questions are surfacing on due process. Most on the list are clear-cut sellers of counterfeit items like DVDs, and sting operations caught these miscreants in action. But in the case of RapGodfathers and similar sites, it looks like DMCA-related processes were glossed over.
Alongside rapgodfathers.com, similarly-situated sites included dajaz1.com and torrrent-finder.com, while the rest are mostly dedicated to knock-off DVDs, handbags, NFL jerseys, and the like.
Attorney General Eric Holder.
Surprise! Turns out that the takedown of a few rap-related sites is part of a much larger enforcement effort. In fact, a total of 82 sites have been obliterated over the past few days, according to details shared Monday morning by Attorney General Eric Holder and John Morton, director of the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement division. This goes far beyond music, and also includes sites related to pirated film,fashion, software, and athletic apparel.
Sounds quick-and-harsh, though serious questions are surfacing on due process. Most on the list are clear-cut sellers of counterfeit items like DVDs, and sting operations caught these miscreants in action. But in the case of RapGodfathers and similar sites, it looks like DMCA-related processes were glossed over.
Alongside rapgodfathers.com, similarly-situated sites included dajaz1.com and torrrent-finder.com, while the rest are mostly dedicated to knock-off DVDs, handbags, NFL jerseys, and the like.
