US Markets
Home›US Markets›M&A & Deals›Thousands of sites blocked for illegal World Cup strea…
Thousands of sites blocked for illegal World Cup streaming in US and Colombia
The DOJ said more than 1,000 domains were shut down in the US and a similar number were blocked in Colombia during the tournament, as enforcement actions expanded from earlier take downs of 400 webpages.
The U.S. Department of Justice said it has blocked or seized nearly 3,000 websites tied to illegal streaming of World Cup matches, with more than 1,000 domains shut down in the US alone and a similar number blocked in Colombia. Enforcement agencies carried out the actions under operations called “operation offsides” and “operation red card,” with much of the work overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement through the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. DOJ officials said unauthorized broadcasting violates intellectual property rights and can “fuel criminal organizations.” The DOJ also said that by the end of last month it had taken down 400 webpages for illegal World Cup streaming, and that additional hundreds of sites have since been blocked or seized. The crackdown involved support from FIFA and media and entertainment partners, including beIN Media Group, NBC Universal, Ultimate Fighting Championship, and Warner Brothers, while DOJ linked the crackdown to protecting the value of broadcasting rights.