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{{short description|City of London Police department}}The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) is a unit of the City of London Police, the national lead force for fraud. It was established in 2013WEB,www.cityoflondon.police.uk/advice-and-support/fraud-and-economic-crime/pipcu/Pages/About-PIPCU.aspx, About PIPCU, www.cityoflondon.police.uk, en-us, 2018-01-18, with the responsibility to investigate and deter serious and organised intellectual property crime in the United Kingdom.It is based in City of London Police’s headquarters at Guildhall Yard East. The unit consists of 19 police officers and staff, including detectives and police staff investigators.Part of PIPCU’s remitWEB,www.cityoflondon.police.uk/advice-and-support/fraud-and-economic-crime/pipcu/Pages/How-PIPCU-operates.aspx, How PIPCU operates, www.cityoflondon.police.uk, en-us, 2018-01-18, is to protect consumers from harm, focusing on intellectual property crime that has public safety implications. Since its inception, it has investigated intellectual property crime worth more than £100 million concerning counterfeit goods or digital piracy, and suspended 28,000 websitesNEWS,news.sky.com/story/police-shut-28000-websites-selling-counterfeits-11051451, Police shut 28,000 websites selling counterfeits, Sky News, 2018-01-18, en-GB, selling counterfeit goods. These websites have also been linked to identity theft.

History

The operationally-independent unit was launched in September 2013WEB,www.cityoflondon.police.uk/advice-and-support/fraud-and-economic-crime/pipcu/Pages/About-PIPCU.aspx, About PIPCU, www.cityoflondon.police.uk, en-us, 2018-02-01, with funding from the UK government’s Intellectual Property Office. It was announced in August 2017 that PIPCU will receive a further £3.2 million from the IPO to fund the unit to June 2019.WEB,www.cityoflondon.police.uk/advice-and-support/fraud-and-economic-crime/pipcu/pipcu-news/Pages/pipcu-funding-confirmed-until-2017.aspx, PIPCU funding confirmed until 2017 - Commander Head “This is fantastic news for the City of London Police”, www.cityoflondon.police.uk, en-us, 2018-02-01, In 2013, the unit began Operation Creative to disrupt and prevent websites from providing unauthorised access to copyrighted content in partnership with the creative and advertising industries. Rights holders in the creative industries can report copyright infringing websites to PIPCU, providing a detailed package of evidence indicating how the site is involved in illegal copyright infringement. Research has shown that there has been a 64% decrease in advertisingWEB,www.cityoflondon.police.uk/advice-and-support/fraud-and-economic-crime/pipcu/pipcu-news/Pages/Operation-Creative-sees-64-per-cent-drop-in-UK-advertising-.aspx, Operation Creative sees 64 per cent drop in UK advertising, www.cityoflondon.police.uk, en-us, 2018-02-01, from the UK’s top advertising spending companies on copyright infringing websites and an 87% drop in adverts for licensed gambling operatorsWEB,www.trademarksandbrandsonline.com/news/gambling-adverts-on-illegal-sites-drop-87-research-5015, Gambling adverts on illegal sites drop 87%: research, Media, Newton, www.trademarksandbrandsonline.com, en, 2018-02-01, being displayed on illegal sites that infringe copyright. In 2013, Operation Ashiko was created to targets the sale of online physical counterfeit goods and aims to seize the domains of infringers.WEB,www.cityoflondon.police.uk/advice-and-support/fraud-and-economic-crime/pipcu/pipcu-news/Pages/PIPCU-suspends-more-than-2,000-illegal-websites-.aspx, PIPCU suspends more than 2,000 illegal websites since New Year, www.cityoflondon.police.uk, en-us, 2018-02-01, In April 2017, PIPCU launched the IP Crime Directory,WEB,ipcrimedirectory.org/, IP Crime Directory - Home, ipcrimedirectory.org, 2018-02-01, a database for customs and police officers to help them identify counterfeit goods with the information uploaded by rights and brand holders.WEB,news.cityoflondon.police.uk/r/806/richard_branson_endorses_the_city_of_london_polic, City Of London Police {{!, Richard Branson endorses the City of London Police’s Intellectual Property (IP) Crime Directory on World IP Day|website=news.cityoflondon.police.uk|access-date=2018-02-01}}

Operation Creative

Operation Creative, formerly Operation Trade Bridge,NEWS, City Police initative [sic] to battle illegal websites christened Operation Trade Bridge as Affectv comes on board,www.thedrum.com/news/2013/07/16/city-police-initative-battle-illegal-websites-christened-operation-trade-bridge, 13 December 2014, 16 July 2013, is an ongoing campaign against alleged copyright infringing sites and their advertising network. A number of torrent and streaming sites have been either shut down, had their domains seized or threatened by the PIPCU. Whilst over 100 websites have been ‘dealt with’, the majority of domain name suspension requests are denied.WEB, Ernesto, Domain Registrars Deny Police Requests to Suspend Pirate Sites,torrentfreak.com/domain-registrars-deny-police-requests-suspend-pirate-sites-140808/,

Operations

{| class=“wikitable sortable”! Date!! Action !! Site/Domain !! Result

		URL=HTTP://TORRENTFREAK.COM/UK-POLICE-ORDERS-REGISTRARS-TO-SUSPEND-DOMAINS-OF-MAJOR-TORRENT-SITES-131009/	NEWSPAPER=TORRENTFREAK		ExtraTorrent via PDR Ltd emp3world.com via PDR Ltd full-albums.net via PDR Ltd maxalbums.com via PDR Ltd >		URL=HTTPS://TORRENTFREAK.COM/EXTRATORRENT-THREATENS-LEGAL-ACTION-OVER-POLICE-ORDERED-DOMAIN-SEIZURE-131010/	DATE=OCTOBER 10, 2013, Restored via EasyDNSRestored via EasyDNSRestored via EasyDNS

		EasyDNS>| Registrar publicly refused request

		TITLE=WITH OPERATION CREATIVE, POLICE CRACK DOWN ON ‘AD-FUNDED’ PIRACY	ACCESSDATE=21 APRIL 2014	DATE=12 DECEMBER 2013,	-	-

		URL=HTTPS://TORRENTFREAK.COM/POLICE-ARREST-STREAMING-SITE-ADMIN-SEVERAL-DOMAINS-SUSPENDED-140409/,	Boxing Guru domainsnutjob.eu	Site closureSite closure

		URL=HTTP://TORRENTFREAK.COM/UK-POLICE-FORCE-SHUTDOWN-OF-SPORTS-TORRENT-NETWORK-140421/	NEWSPAPER=TORRENTFREAK		| Site closure

		URL=HTTP://TORRENTFREAK.COM/CRICFREE-BOUNCES-BACK-AFTER-UK-POLICE-DOMAIN-SEIZURE-140524/	AGENCY=TORRENTFREAK			date=September 2014}}Site moved to Cricfree.eu. 17 August domain was returned

		URL=HTTP://TORRENTFREAK.COM/UK-POLICE-SHUTDOWN-FILE-HOST-SEARCH-ENGINE-FILECROP-140524/		| Site closure

		URL=HTTP://TORRENTFREAK.COM/TORRENTZ-EU-DOMAIN-UNSUSPENDED-BACK-ACTION-140527/	DATE=MAY 27, 2014,	Torrentz.eu via Nazwa	Domain unsuspended 27 May (next day)

		URL=HTTPS://TORRENTFREAK.COM/PUTLOCKER-BZ-LOSES-DOMAIN-NAME-MOVES-SAFE-HAVEN-ICELAND-140604/	DATE=JUNE 4, 2014,	Putlocker.bz	Domain unsuspended Site moved to bestv.ch

	date=September 2014}}	Potlocker.re	Site moved to Potlocker.me

		#Immunicity Arrest>Immunicity and various proxy sites	Temporary site closureClone sites launched

		URL=HTTPS://TORRENTFREAK.COM/ANTI-PIRACY-POLICE-BEGIN-TARGETING-EBOOK-PIRATES-140921/		|

		URL=HTTP://TORRENTFREAK.COM/UK-POLICE-MAKE-THIRD-PIRATE-STREAMING-ARREST-140902/	DATE=SEPTEMBER 2, 2014,	CoolSport.se, CoolSport.tv and KiwiSportz.tv	Charges dropped 13 OctoberANDY>TITLE=POLICE DROP CHARGES AGAINST INDUSTRIAL-SCALE ‘PIRATE’	ACCESSDATE=19 OCTOBER 2014, October 13, 2014,

		URL=HTTP://TORRENTFREAK.COM/UK-POLICE-SHUT-DOWN-MP3-SEARCH-ENGINE-MP3JUICES-140911/	DATE=11 SEPTEMBER 2014,	mp3juices.com	Site closure Initially relaunched as mp3juices.ccOfficially relaunched as mp3juices.to in November 2014ERNESTO>TITLE=MP3JUICES RECOVERS FROM UK POLICE SHUTDOWN WITH NEW DOMAIN	ACCESSDATE=3 NOVEMBER 2014,

		URL=HTTP://TORRENTFREAK.COM/POLICE-SEIZE-DOMAIN-OF-FROMBAR-SPORTS-STREAMING-SITE-141004/,	Frombar.com (Spotle Network) via eNom	Site voluntarily disabled UK access on other domainsERNESTO>TITLE=SPORTS STREAMING SITE HIDES ITSELF FROM THE UK PIRACY POLICE	ACCESSDATE=19 OCTOBER 2014, October 19, 2014,

		URL=HTTP://TORRENTFREAK.COM/UK-POLICE-AND-PRS-SHUTDOWN-KARAOKE-TORRENT-SITE-150313/	DATE=13 MARCH 2015,	Karaoke-World.co.uk

		URL=HTTP://TORRENTFREAK.COM/POLICE-ARREST-WORLDS-MOST-PROLIFIC-UFC-AND-WWE-PIRATE-150318/	DATE=MARCH 18, 2015,	WWE and UFC uploader|

|13 April 2022|Domain Seizure, Arrests|Club Penguin Rewritten

The Walt Disney Company>DisneyCLUB PENGUIN REWRITTEN SHUT DOWN BY DISNEY >URL=HTTPS://TECHRAPTOR.NET/GAMING/NEWS/CLUB-PENGUIN-REWRITTEN-PRESUMABLY-SHUT-DOWN-BY-DISNEY	WEBSITE=TECHRAPTOR, en,

In December 2015 they arrested a karaoke subtitle creation gang.NEWS, Andy, KickassTorrents “DIY” Karaoke ‘Gang’ Busted By UK Police,torrentfreak.com/kickasstorrents-diy-karaoke-gang-busted-by-uk-police-151216/, 16 December 2015, 16 December 2015, By August 2015, 317 domain suspension requests had been issued.NEWS, Ernesto, UK Piracy Police Asked Domain Registrars to Shut Down 317 Sites,torrentfreak.com/uk-piracy-police-asked-domain-registrars-to-shut-down-317-sites-150821/, 22 August 2015, 21 August 2015, In March 2021 they claimed the Sci-Hub website could “pose a threat” to university students’ personal data.NEWS, Sean, Police warn students to avoid science website,www.bbc.com/news/education-56462390, 20 March 2021, 19 March 2021, In April 2022, they seized the website of Club Penguin Rewritten, a fan recreation of the Disney online game, Club Penguin.

Immunicity arrest

(File:Immunicity logo.jpg|thumbnail|right)In response to the new round of web blocking in the UK in conjunction with the copyright infringing site blocking programmes, a service called Immunicity was launched.NEWS, Unblock Torrent Sites, Blocked Proxies, & Cameron’s Porn Filter With Immunicity,torrentfreak.com/unblock-torrent-sites-blocked-proxies-camerons-porn-filter-with-immunicity-130728/, 10 September 2014, TorrentFreak, July 28, 2013, to allow circumvention of both blocking types. However on 6 August 2014 the owner was arrestedNEWS, Ernesto, Police Arrest Operator of Torrent Site Proxies,torrentfreak.com/police-arrest-operator-torrent-site-proxies-140806/, 10 September 2014, TorrentFreak, August 6, 2014, by the PIPCU under anti-fraud legislation.WEB, The Laws PIPCU used to intimidate Immunicity,survivetheclaireperryinter.net/2014/09/10/the-laws-pipcu-used-to-intimidate-immunicity/, survivetheclaireperryinter.net, 10 September 2014, Anti-censorship supporters created clones of the site such as Immun.esNEWS, Ernesto, Immunicity Resurrected by Anti-Censorship Supporters,torrentfreak.com/immunicity-resurrected-by-anti-censorship-supporters-140810/, 10 September 2014, TorrentFreak, August 11, 2014, (which closed down shortly after launching) and routingpacketsisnotacrime.ukNEWS, Andy,torrentfreak.com/the-art-of-unblocking-websites-without-committing-crimes-140923/, 13 December 2014, September 23, 2014, to resurrect the service.By August 2015 the immunicity domain was back under the control of anti-censorship activists and displays a website inviting people to use Tor and other anonymity services.

Infringing website list

PIPCU maintains an ‘Infringing Website List’ (IWL), a portal for digital advertisers to be informed of sites containing infringing content with the intention that they cease advertising on them.City of London Police call on advertising and brand sectors to help tackle cyber crime, PIPCU, 2014-03-31 Sites are identified as infringing by rights holders and the list is not made available to the public.UK Police Launch Pirate Site Blacklist for Advertisers, TorrentFreak, 2014-03-31 As of 12 August a freedom of information request from TorrentFreak revealed:NEWS, Ernesto, UK Police Hijack Ads of 74 Pirate Websites, Refuse to Name Them,torrentfreak.com/uk-police-hijacks-ads-74-websites-refuses-name-140812/, 21 September 2014, TorrentFreak, 74 domains are subject to the advertiser blocking programme, of which of October 2014 only 2 domainsWEB, Number of sites removed from the PIPCU Infringing Website List,www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/number_of_sites_removed_from_the, 13 December 2014, had ever been removed from the list. 83 advertising companies with a UK presence are currently participating.Working with the media and advertiser industry body, the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) created a technology portal called ‘Project Sunblock’.WEB, Online Pirates Are Making Advertisers Walk the Plank,www.projectsunblock.com/blog/2014/3/20/online-pirates-are-making-advertisers-walk-the-plank, 29 July 2014, If PIPCU do not receive a response from the website operators, the host or registrarWEB, Kobie, Nicole, Policing the web: anti-piracy and beyond,www.pcpro.co.uk/news/390670/policing-the-web-anti-piracy-and-beyond, www.pcpro.co.uk, 27 November 2014, of an allegedly infringing site, the site is added to the IWL via the Sunblock portal, which is then passed along to participating advertising networks for blacklisting. From June 2014 this technology allowed replacing the adverts of websites believed to be offering unauthorized content with warnings from PIPCU.NEWS, Lee, Dave, Police placing anti-piracy warning ads on illegal sites,www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28523738, 29 July 2014, {{multiple image|align = center|image1=Website with its adverts replaced from the PIPCU.jpg|caption1=Piracy warning replacing adverts|image2=|caption2=Parties involved in project sunblock}}In 2014 the PIPCU removed payment provisions from 4,650 offending sites with a .co.uk address from sites on the infringing websites list.Hansard, 2015-01-28

See also

• Ad filtering
• Domain name § Seizures
• Intellectual property

References

{{reflist|3}}

External links

• {{Official website}}

{{UK policing units}}