LONDON, August 11 /PRNewswire/ --



Research by MarkMonitor, the global leader in enterprise brand
protection, demonstrates the ease in which a variety of knives, from pocket
knives to machetes, can be purchased over the internet from high-street
retail brands, eCommerce, online auction and exchange sites with little to no
restrictions. It is becoming increasingly easy to purchase deadly weapons
online at a fraction of the retail price, often with no regulations
controlling who is purchasing them and why.

Over a three-day period in July 2008, MarkMonitor found that
almost 9,021 knives (worth approximately GBP65,000) were available for sale
on online auction sites. 55% were available to purchase instantly with no
warnings or restrictions.

MarkMonitor has also checked the websites of the UK's top department
stores and retailers and out of a list of 6 top retailers, 4 were selling
knives with no warnings, age limits or restrictions and may therefore be
infringing legislation.

Key findings:

- One seller has a total of 429 knives for sale, all with the option of
      instant purchasing and an online sales value of around GBP8,700

    - One seller currently has 5 auctions selling illegal semi automatic
      daggers (assisted opening knives)*

    - The same seller has sold 32 knives in July 2008 alone totalling around
      GBP250, the majority of them over 3 inches in length** and without any
      listing advising that it is a legal requirement that the buyer must be 
      over 18 years of age

    - A variety of different knives, from pocket knives to machetes were 
      also found to be prevalent on b2b exchanges with some able to supply 
      up to 50,000 units per month

    - The online sites of 22 retailers were advertising the sale of knives,
      with only 1 of these advising the buyer should be over 18 years old

    - The top 5 types of knife being sold online over the three day period
      include:


    Hunting knife  1333
    Lock knife     1259
    Army knife      786
    Pocket knife    707
    Pen knife       498



"Only one of the online stores we found had a statement on
their site forbidding purchase to under 18's," reports Charlie Abrahams,
MarkMonitor's VP and General Manager, EMEA. "With children as young as 11 now
being able to obtain debit and solo cards, imposing age restrictions will
become increasingly challenging. Responsible retailers should look closely at
their policies in allowing knives to be purchased from their online
properties. "

Notes to Editors:

Methodology

MarkMonitor searched auction sites, b2b exchanges and commerce
sites for the term 'Knife' and 'knives' over a 3 day period in July 2008.

* Source: It illegal to own, sell, hire, lend or give away
semi automatic knives. Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act, 1959. Section
1(1).

Offence: It is an offence for a person to manufacture, sell,
hire or offer for sale or hire or expose or have in his possession for the
purpose of sale or hire, or lend or give to any person:

A) any knife which has a blade which opens automatically by
hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in or attached to
the handle of the knife, sometimes know as a 'flick knife' or 'flick gun'; or

B) any knife which has a blade which is released from the
handle or sheath thereof by the force of gravity or the application of
centrifugal force and which, when released, is locked in place by means of a
button, spring, lever, or other device, sometimes known as a 'gravity knife'.

** Source: Section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988
prohibits the possession in a public place of any article which has a blade
or is sharply pointed, (including a folding pocket knife if the cutting edge
of its blade exceeds 7.62cm/3 inches) (Archbold, 24.125) and Section 43 of
the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 amends section 141A(1) of the Criminal
Justice Act 1988 under which it is currently an offence to sell a knife or an
article with a blade or point to a person under the age of 16 years. Section
43 increases that age to 18.

*** Source: http://www.tunedinresearch.com/

A recent survey of 355 people aged 16 to 24 in London,
Manchester and Bristol by market research company, Tuned In found that 30 per
cent believed it was acceptable sometimes to carry a knife while 23 per cent
would use one.

About MarkMonitor

MarkMonitor, the global leader in enterprise brand protection,
offers comprehensive solutions and services that safeguard brands, reputation
and revenue from online risks. With end-to-end solutions that address the
growing threats of online fraud, brand abuse and unauthorised channels,
MarkMonitor enables a secure Internet for businesses and their customers. The
company's exclusive access to data combined with its patented real-time
prevention, detection and response capabilities provide wide-ranging
protection to the ever-changing online risks faced by brands today. For more
information, visit http://www.markmonitor.com.