The United States government, through the Customs Enforcement Agency branch of the Department for Homeland Security, has shut down more than 70 websites that are alleged to have been offering pirate content or counterfeit goods. Included in the websites shut down were music download sites and sites selling fake designer brands of clothing.
The domain names in question are no longer accessible, and users are instead diverted to a webpage detailing that the domain name had been taken over by the government and listing the United States laws on copyright and counterfeit goods. It is believed that many of the websites are attempting to continue trading by moving to new domain names.