FC: Federal police adopt new tactic: Seizing domain names

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

The DOJ's release:
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2003/February/03_crm_118.htm

---

http://news.com.com/2100-1023-986225.html

   Feds seizing domain names
   By Declan McCullagh
   February 26, 2003, 8:10 PM PT

   WASHINGTON--Federal police have adopted a novel crime-fighting tactic:
   Seizing control of domain names for Web sites that allegedly violate
   the law.

   Attorney General John Ashcroft said Monday that the domain names for
   several Web sites allegedly set up to sell illegal "drug
   paraphernalia" would be pointed at servers located at the Drug
   Enforcement Administration. A federal judge in Pittsburgh granted the
   U.S. Department of Justice permission to do so until a trial can take
   place, the government said.

   Wednesday afternoon, the DOJ said it had taken over the iSoNews.com
   domain, whose owner pleaded guilty to felony copyright crimes under
   the controversial Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). David
   Rocci, 22, pleaded guilty in December to using his site to sell "mod"
   chips that let Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation owners modify their
   devices so they can use them to play illegally copied games, or
   "warez."

   [...]




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