Külföldi torrent oldalak Biggest Spending Advertisers Abandoning Piracy Sites Amidst Police Crackdown

The fall came after the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) introduced Operation Creative in 2013, with the aim of reducing advertising on illegal sites by brands in automotive, food and drink and real estate sectors.

PIPCU “clamping down” on the advertising of pop music on pirate sites is a curious one, not least since the recording industry are fully signed up members of Operation Creative.

Back in July last year, PIPCU partnered with content verification company Project Sunblock to replace brand ads on websites suspected of infringing copyright with banners from the police, warning users that the site is under investigation.

He went on: “These brands have no desire to see their name appear on sites that harm or defraud customers, fund criminal activity and support the illegal distribution of valued content such as music”.

Minister for Intellectual Property Baroness Lucy Neville-Rolfe noted the achievements while underlining the importance of collaboration. “It hurts businesses, consumers and the wider economy”.

The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) today (12 August) claimed the collective effort – dubbed Operation Creative – saw the number of ads served on illegal websites providing access to films, TV, books, music and games reduced by 73 per cent since its inception in 2013.

Also getting some benefit are consumers who use the piracy sites as, according to PIPCU, they will no longer be exposed to malware, viruses or fraudulent scams linked to the internet copyright infringing sites.

“Operation Creative and our Infringing Website List (IWL) is just one of the many ways we are working together with the private sector to safeguard the public, protect the creative industries and ensure the reputation of advertisers and brands are not discredited through association with illegal websites”.

Operation Creative was part of the “follow the money” approach to combating piracy promoted by former MP and IP Advisor to David Cameron, Mike Weatherly.

“The criminals behind these sites are making substantial sums of money from advertising”, said PIPCU chief inspector Peter Ratcliffe, “and inadvertently brands and advertisers are funding this online crime”.