Clearly, this is going to become a pattern. First the bong sellers' websites, now a bootlegger's. Be careful where you go online--think of Sitemeter and how it discloses the ISP and timezone and other details of your visitors to you...once the "redirect to DOJ" instruction goes in, that and more information about you will become known to the Government. This is a twisted new policy--we hope the websitewoners contest it in court. It's one thing to seize an asset under the forfeiture laws--or to attempt to shut down online businesses that may be breaking a law, like paraphernalia outlets, but where does Ashcroft come off taking private property and redirecting its customer base to government agents?

The U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday it had seized a rogue Web site that offered information on bootlegged video games and movies, as the owner faces sentencing for copyright violations.

The site remained available to many Internet users hours after the announcement, but Justice Department officials said they would gain complete control as Internet traffic computers were updated to reflect its new address.

Justice said it had taken over the Web site (http://www.isonews.com) after its owner pleaded guilty to selling computer chips that would enable users to play bootleg video games on Microsoft Corp. Xbox consoles, a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act....

ISO News, which claimed up to 140,000 hits each day, does not contain illegal copies of video games, software and movies, but instead features message boards where Internet users can trade tips about such "warez."

The article mentions that the owner agreed to turnover the website, and that he pleaded guilty, avoiding trial. We don't have any inside informtion, but reading between the lines, we don't see a voluntary surrender--we see the Government demanding the turnover of the website as part of the plea bargain--no website, no deal. If that's the case, it's a "seizure" in our view--just like the seizures yesterday of the bong sellers' websites.