back to article Knockoff knockdown: Euro cops shutter 300 'counterfeit' domains

Nearly 300 domain names flogging illegal merch have been seized by Europol as part of a global crackdown on sites selling counterfeit goods before Christmas. Europol and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), together with 25 law enforcement agencies from 19 countries, seized 292 …

  1. Amorous Cowherder

    "Surfers looking for the sites will be shown an "educational" page about copyright crime."

    Surely if it's counterfeiting then it's laws relating to that? Isn't copyright to do with IP and creative works of art and writing?

    1. big_D Silver badge

      Not only. Using a company logo without permission is also a copyright infringement.

      If the goods are a 1-1 copy of an original product, then it is counterfeit. If there are subtle differences, but they use the original companies logo or a variation of the logo or other trademarks, then it falls into copyright infringement.

      For example a replica of a pair of Nike shoes would be counterfeit. Putting a Nike label (or Niek, Neki etc.) on a generic pair of shoes would fall under copyright AFAIK.

      1. Raumkraut

        If the goods are a 1-1 copy of an original product, then it is counterfeit.

        If someone manufactures a physical good which is identical to another product, there's nothing implicitly against the law about that AFAIK. If the recreation is represented as being an original - and not a replica - then it could be labelled as "counterfeit". What they're actually liable for depends on how they mis-represent the item:

        * If they use a brand name - as part of the design, marketing, etc. - they could be liable for trademark infringement.

        * If they use a brand logo, or a close approximation - as part of the design, marketing, etc. - then they could be liable for both copyright infringement (of the logo) and trademark infringement (of the logo specifically, and brand in general).

        Additionally, even without the copyright/trademark aspect, a replica product could still infringe any (design/functional) patents which may apply to the product.

        (IANAIPLBIPOOTI)

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    If the good on sale were really counterfeit then it's a victory for the consumer.

    On the other hand, if they were "grey market", ie. genuine goods imported from another country, then it's commercial protectionism and a loss to the consumer. There is no good excuse for multinational companies to price-gouge customers in Europe while selling identical products in Asia or the US for considerably less money.

  3. Graham Marsden
    Facepalm

    an "educational" page about copyright crime.

    Which, boys and girls, we all know funds terrorism and drug dealers and sex trafficking and child porn and...

  4. Ralph B

    Has anyone checked ... ?

    Has anyone checked if the Amazon and eBay websites are still there?

    1. i like crisps
      Pint

      Re: Has anyone checked ... ?

      ICON: for you Sir.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It's all good

    Send the crims to the pokey for a long time.

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