As the mobile app space expands, more and more alternate app stores pop up to offer applications to smartphone users, and of course with so many apps about obviously some mobile apps are rip-offs of the original, but it appears that the law enforcement agencies are taking app copyright violation seriously, and as such the first operation against such mobile app marketplaces to shut them down has now taken place.
According to a report over on PC World, over in the USA the Justice Department, FBI, US attorneys’ offices along with French and Dutch law enforcement officials clamped down on three websites that were allegedly offering illegal copies of Android applications.
The Justice Department stated they had executed federal court seizure orders against the three websites and seized their domain names, snappzmarket.com, appbucket.net, and applanet.net, and all three websites now carry a seizure banner.
Apparently most of the servers storing the alleged illegal apps up for sale were in other countries, and international law enforcement agencies assisted is gaining and seizing evidence from the servers. FBI agents downloaded thousands of copies of copyrighted apps from these online markets that are suspected of selling copyrighted mobile apps without the permission of the developers.
The assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Lanny A. Breuer said that software apps have become an essential part of the nations creative culture and economy, and we are committed to working with law enforcement partners to protect the creators of these applications along with other forms of intellectual property, from those that wish to steal it.
As part of the operating, nine search warrants have also been executed in 6 different districts across the country.
So there you have it, looks like the law enforcement agencies are starting to crack down on those that think it is all right to copy and sell apps that they didn’t invent, which is a good thing.
Image courtesy of Golden Age Stories