White House, ad networks release anti-piracy best practices

The White House partnered with Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and other online advertising companies to unveil a set of industry-developed best practices that are aimed at keeping online ads off websites that illegally offer pirated content and counterfeit products.

The eight participating companies said they are committed to cutting off the flow of money to illicit websites that rely on online ads to generate revenue and fund their operations. The best practices were developed with support from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), a non-profit that represents media and technology companies that sell online ad. The White House hailed the release of the best practices in a blog post, calling it a "positive step" that "can have a significant impact on reducing online piracy and counterfeiting." The White House has encouraged industry groups—including ad networks and payment processors—to develop voluntary anti-piracy standards in light of the controversy surrounding online copyright legislation.