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Police-mediated route from infringement evidence to domain disruption
Operation Ashiko is PIPCU's domain-suspension workflow addressing counterfeit-goods activity. The retained 2020 policy describes how evidence from rights holders and enforcement sources passes through police investigation, authorisation and requests to registrars or Nominet.
The policy requires police investigation and due diligence, with a PIPCU Detective Chief Inspector authorising requests. Registrars investigate and act where their terms justify it; after forty-eight hours without action, police may ask Nominet to investigate and act. Registrants have a stated initial challenge route. A police contribution reports 32,995 website suspensions in 2018/19. The February 2022 strategy describes one detective plus management support and no charge to referrers; these dated accounts do not establish current staffing or individual outcomes.
Operation Ashiko — dated suspension workflow → Domain registrar in Ashiko process
2020-06-22 – 2020-06-22
The registrar investigates and acts where its terms justify action. After48hours without action police may ask Nominet to investigate and act; the policy does not describe private complainants skipping police authorisation.
Ashiko rightsholder and enforcement referrers → Operation Ashiko — dated suspension workflow
2020-06-22 – 2020-06-22
Brands/enforcement sources supply evidence and may confirm infringement where necessary; police retains investigative and authorisation steps. No grant of independent private suspension authority.
Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) → Operation Ashiko — dated suspension workflow
2020-06-22 – 2020-06-22
The2020 police policy describes requests based on investigation and due diligence, using a reported Nominet agreement without a court order. The agreement itself was not acquired.
PIPCU Detective Chief Inspector — suspension authoriser → Operation Ashiko — dated suspension workflow
2020-06-22 – 2020-06-22
Section9 names the PIPCU Detective Chief Inspector as authoriser. This is narrower than control of every downstream registry decision or all other programme actions.
Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) → Operation Ashiko — dated suspension workflow
2018/19 report period; precise operation interval not separately established
PIPCU contribution reports32995 websites suspended in2018/19. Adjacent Nominet request/domain totals cover a different period and are not a matched denominator. No independently verified individual outcome or current all-TLD total inferred.
UK Intellectual Property Office → Operation Ashiko — dated suspension workflow
2022-02-04 – 2022-02-04
February2022 strategy says one detective plus PIPCU management support and no charge to brands/referrers. This does not establish current staffing, total cost, a budget allocation or a free right to compel action.
Operation Ashiko: private referrals, police approval and registry action ↗
Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) → operates the published suspension process → Operation Ashiko — dated suspension workflow
2020-06-22 – 2020-06-22
The2020 police policy describes requests based on investigation and due diligence, using a reported Nominet agreement without a court order. The agreement itself was not acquired.
Ashiko rightsholder and enforcement referrers → may provide intelligence and infringement evidence → Operation Ashiko — dated suspension workflow
2020-06-22 – 2020-06-22
Brands/enforcement sources supply evidence and may confirm infringement where necessary; police retains investigative and authorisation steps. No grant of independent private suspension authority.
PIPCU Detective Chief Inspector — suspension authoriser → must authorise every police domain suspension → Operation Ashiko — dated suspension workflow
2020-06-22 – 2020-06-22
Section9 names the PIPCU Detective Chief Inspector as authoriser. This is narrower than control of every downstream registry decision or all other programme actions.
Operation Ashiko — dated suspension workflow → requests registrar investigation and terms-based action first → Domain registrar in Ashiko process
2020-06-22 – 2020-06-22
The registrar investigates and acts where its terms justify action. After48hours without action police may ask Nominet to investigate and act; the policy does not describe private complainants skipping police authorisation.
Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) → reported32995 website suspensions in2018/19 → Operation Ashiko — dated suspension workflow
2018/19 report period; precise operation interval not separately established
Reported by the cited source
PIPCU contribution reports32995 websites suspended in2018/19. Adjacent Nominet request/domain totals cover a different period and are not a matched denominator. No independently verified individual outcome or current all-TLD total inferred.
UK Intellectual Property Office → reported one detective plus management and no referral charge → Operation Ashiko — dated suspension workflow
2022-02-04 – 2022-02-04
Reported by the cited source
February2022 strategy says one detective plus PIPCU management support and no charge to brands/referrers. This does not establish current staffing, total cost, a budget allocation or a free right to compel action.