The U.S. Trade Representative recently released its 2014 Notorious Markets report identifying offline and online markets that deal in infringing goods or sustain global piracy and counterfeiting. For the first time, the Notorious Markets report identifies Internet domain name registrars as sources of piracy and counterfeiting.
Domain registrars are commercial entities which oversee the registration of Internet domain names. The 2014 Notorious Markets report notes that the industry as a whole requires greater scrutiny, and expressly names one of the largest members of the industry, Tucows, as a Notorious Market due to its inaction when notified of registrants’ infringing activity. Inclusion of domain name registrars in the Notorious Markets report indicates that they could face increased pressure to adequately respond to infringing activity in the future. — Mary Witzel
For more information, see the U.S. Trade Representative’s 2014 Notorious Markets report:
