SIIA and other organizations have well documented the problem of copyright infringement on auction and resale sites such as eBay, Amazon, Craigslist, iOffer and other similar sites.  SIIA and its members monitor these sites and perform test purchases looking for infringing content, and sometimes file lawsuits against the offending sellers.  The tide of these cases has not stemmed in 2009, as the need to maintain an effective deterrent presence continues -- both to protect the intellectual property interest of its members, and to protect their consumers against fraudulent attempts to pass off substandard goods as the "real thing."

SIIA has settled dozens of cases in the past year on behalf of its software and content members, some of which will be described in an upcoming SIIA press release.  The results have ranged from substantial financial penalties, to seller bankruptcies, and in some cases even jail time.  Dozens of more cases are on the way.  In tandem with SIIA's other educational efforts, the litigation programs aim to discourage careless or illegitimate online sellers attempting to make a "quick buck" by reselling copyrighted works (often obtained from unknown or suspicious sources), and encourage buyers only to use known, verified sites and sellers to make purchases.