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London Police Placing Anti-Piracy Warning Ads On Illegal Sites

Posted by timothy on from the since-you're-here-anyhow dept.

mrspoonsi (2955715) writes "The City of London police has started placing banner advertisements on websites believed to be offering pirated content illegally. The messages, which will appear instead of paid-for ads, will ask users to close their web browsers. The move comes as part of a continuing effort to stop piracy sites from earning money through advertising. Police said the ads would make it harder for piracy site owners to make their pages look authentic. "When adverts from well known brands appear on illegal websites, they lend them a look of legitimacy and inadvertently fool consumers into thinking the site is authentic," said Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fyfe from the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (Pipcu). "This new initiative is another step forward for the unit in tackling IP crime and disrupting criminal profits. "Copyright infringing websites are making huge sums of money though advert placement, therefore disrupting advertising on these sites is crucial and this is why it is an integral part of Operation Creative.""

4 of 160 comments (clear)

  1. Hilarious by Sockatume · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Piracy sites have found a way to get the Police to pay them money. Whatever war on copyright infringement there might have been, I think it's safe to say that it is over.

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    No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
    1. Re:Hilarious by feldhaus · · Score: 5, Informative

      From TFA:

      "The initiative will make use of technology provided by Project Sunblock - a firm used by major brands to stop adverts appearing alongside questionable content such as pirated material or pornography."

      "Neither the police or Project Sunblock [are paying the website in question to display the police message." --

    2. Re:Hilarious by Arker · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Which makes it sound like some sort of attack on the ad network.

      Without more details it's hard to say, but it sounds like the ad network should file a complaint with the UK and get these overenthusiastic corporate cops charged.

      There's a battle to love - ad networks versus the 'city of london.' May they fight forever and leave the rest of us in peace.

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      Friends don't let friends enable ecmascript.
  2. City of London Police =/= British Police by timrod · · Score: 5, Interesting

    One thing I'd like to point out is that the City of London Police are not the same thing as the British Metropolitan Police. This was something that came up in an article a few months ago where the City of London Police were fighting against piracy. They're basically an area within London that has existed for hundreds of years under corporate rule.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C...

    The City of London police are basically a corporate police force with an authority that does not go beyond the corporate-controlled City of London area.