Attorney General, Ice Announce Sweeping Anti-piracy Initiative

WASHINGTON (Top40 Charts/ RIAA) - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton today announced operation "In Our Sites v. 2.0,"a sweeping intellectual property enforcement initiative targeting some of the most notorious and flagrant websites trafficking in online music theft. Below is a comment from Mitch Bainwol, Chairman and CEO, Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

"Federal law enforcement authorities have now hung a 'closed for business' sign on some of the most notorious music websites that were havens for copyright theft. No anti-piracy initiative is a silver bullet, but targeted government enforcement against the worst of the worst rogue sites sends a strong message that illegally trafficking in creative works carries real consequences and won't be tolerated. This also makes clear that a priority of this Administration is protecting American jobs and property rights. On this day shortly after we celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday, the Obama Administration, led by Director Morton, Attorney General Holder and a team of prosecutors, have given the music community much to be thankful for.

"This initiative demonstrates that federal prosecutors can deploy the government's legal tools with careful and calibrated discretion. Just as in the physical world, prosecutors and courts know how to assess evidence and distinguish between legitimate businesses and those that flout the law. To those who may question this initiative - who seemingly prefer chaos on the Internet to the rule of law - I urge you to come forward with viable and effective mechanisms to contain the theft that is not only wrong, but devastating to America's artists and creative industries. The answer simply can't be 'do nothing.'"