Seizures and discoveries last week include the bust of a multi-million dollar counterfeiting ring in the US that made more than $61 million in profits since 2005… Also in the US, investigators have seized counterfeit athletic shoes worth around $1 million… Customs officers in China have impounded 4,800 pairs of counterfeit trainers bearing the Beijing Olympic logo… Police have shut down a major Italian music file sharing forum seizing servers and arresting four people… Pirated optical discs were seized during a number of raids in Ireland, Thailand and the Philippines.

Cases and outcomes last week include eBay being ordered by a French court to pay €38.6 million in damages to luxury goods group LVMH for allowing the sale of fake products on the auction site… In the UK, a man has been sentenced to 51 weeks imprisonment for dealing in counterfeit pharmaceuticals worth £1.8 million… A Chinese man was sentenced to three years and six months in jail for selling counterfeit golf equipment… In the US, a judge has ordered YouTube and its owner Google to turn over user data to Viacom as part of a $1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit against the video hosting site.

Studies and reports out last week include one that found that the UK online fake goods market is worth £800 million, and an estimated £5 out of every £100 spent on auction sites goes on counterfeit items.