January 28, 2013
On January 28, 2013, PIR received a Warrant of Seizure from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement, issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The warrant was based on affidavits by agents of the DHS and orders the seizure and civil forfeiture of the .ORG domain name, “munfl.org”. The name relates to the sale of allegedly counterfeit goods. Pursuant to the instructions of the DHS, PIR transferred the registration to specified IP addresses. The .ORG domain now resolves to web sites established by the DHS with a message that it has been the subject of seizure. The legal authority for the seizure is sections of the US Statutes, Criminal Code, that provide for seizure and forfeiture of property used in violation of the criminal provisions of copyright and trademark law.