Websites and Product Pirates
National Pirates Day is designated 19th September each year when you can ‘talk like a pirate’. We recommend you do not act like a pirate but take prevention measures, as these piratical tales testify.
Universecy
The headline from the Press and Journal following stories in the Daily Telegraph and the BBC is ‘North-east firm’s (Ling24) website pirated – Chinese company copies design’. The almost exact replica web site was a blatant attack on Ling24′s intellectual property and business.
Protection Tips Arising
Ensure you understand the IP issues on your web site including copyright ownership, systems, usage policies, data rights etc.
Check for Google alerts on your key words – that is how this theft was discovered.
Be alert all sorts of digital misappropriations are taking place – a client’s subscription PDF was cloned in December and made available free via a social publishing web site.
Keep up to date, be vigilant and encourage your support networks to help.
<h3>Pirate Bay Down if not Out</h3>
Going down with all hands by breaking the Copyright laws seems to be the fate of the file sharing website operators after a Swedish court decision.
Gordon Brown’s reaction today at a Digital Summit seems to be too support a ‘Digital Rights Agency’ as proposed by the Music Industry. Is it time for Gordon to face the music or at worst get his digit out.
Update November 2010
- Pirate Bay verdict: Three operators lose appeal – Prison sentences reduced but fines jacked up read more on The Register
- A list of legal threats and Pirate Bay responses is available on Pirate Bay.com
<h3>Pirate Goods</h3>
Designer labeled clothes, sports goods, watches, perfume and cosmetics are all targets for the counterfeiting pirates. Fake drugs and car parts can damage more than your wealth.
H M Customs & Excise are the first barrier against importation of IPR infringing goods and they are allowed to temporarily detain goods if they suspect them of infringing IPR and under certain circumstances, goods may be destroyed. Customs must tell the IPR holders who decide whether to take the matter to court.
IPR holders should make themselves conversant with the laws and rules then encourage trade associations, Trading Standards and others to remain vigilant in the protection of trademark Intellectual Property Rights.(IPR).
Enter a new player in the protection sector this week when the police working with Nominet have closed down 1200+ web sites that were selling counterfeit goods online. Ebay continues to try police the sale of fake goods but buyers and brand owners need to remain vigilant.
Political Pirates
There is something of the Pirate in all the MPs who have claimed excessive expenses and flipped during the last parliament.
Now we have a political party that has a clear view on the unnecessary criminalisation of file sharing and limits to free speech by excessive surveillance. Well worth a skull and cross on polling day.
See International Talk Like a Pirate Day on Gods Own County Avast expense account my ‘earties should see an outbreak of plank walking.