Feds Seize Another 10 Domains and 11 Bank Accounts

In April, three of the largest web poker sites – PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker – had their domains seized and 11 people connected to the gambling outfits were charged with bank fraud, money laundering and illegal gambling offenses.

A month later and US authorities are busy again, with a federal grand jury returning a pair of indictments charging two gambling businesses and three defendants with operating an illegal gambling business and money laundering.

The indictments and seizures were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland. Eleven bank accounts located in North Carolina, Guam, Panama, Malta, Portugal and The Netherlands were seized along with the domain names of the following Internet gambling sites:

Bookmaker.com

2Betsdi.com

Funtimebingo.com

Goldenarchcasino.com

Truepoker.com

Betmaker.com

Betgrandesports.com

Doylesroom.com

Betehorse.com

Beted.com.

“It is illegal for internet gambling enterprises to do business in Maryland, regardless of where the website operator is located,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.

“We cannot allow foreign website operators to flout the law simply because their headquarters are based outside the country.”

Read More

Source: Feds Seize Another 10 Domains and 11 Bank Accounts

Generated by BlogIt

BlogIt - Auto Blogging Software for YOU!

Domains Seizures Violate First Amendment, Court Hears

At the end of January 2011, the U.S. authorities kicked off yet another round of domain seizures, this time against site connected with sports streaming. This third round of action in ‘Operation in Our Sites’ took control of the domains of Rojadirecta, one of Spain’s most popular sites.

Last week the company behind the site, Puerto 80, filed a petition in the Southern District of New York for the return of its domains. This call is now supported by The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), The Center for Democracy and Technology and Public Knowledge who submitted an amicus brief on Monday.

“This misguided intellectual property enforcement effort is causing serious collateral damage to free speech rights,” said EFF Intellectual Property Director Corynne McSherry. “These domain seizures should cease unless and until the government can fix the First Amendment flaws inherent in the program.”

“Neither the government nor rightsholders should fear a copyright enforcement process that complies with the rule of law,” said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Matt Zimmerman.

“Valid claims of copyright infringement can be pursued in a manner that allows the accused parties to defend themselves. The unilateral seizure of domain names without a court ruling — which obstructs access to all of a website’s content — is improper and should be strongly opposed by free speech advocates everywhere,” Zimmerman added.

The Brief

Source: Domains Seizures Violate First Amendment, Court Hears

Generated by BlogIt

BlogIt - Auto Blogging Software for YOU!