Federal authorities in the United States have seized nearly 400 internet sites caught illegally streaming FIFA World Cup finals in violation of copyright law, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said June 26.
“The unauthorized broadcast of World Cup matches violates intellectual property rights and fuels criminal organizations,” said Director Ivan Arvelo of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center.
“Through Operation Offsides and strong partnerships with law enforcement and the private sector, we identified and seized hundreds of domains, disrupting those who steal and distribute copyrighted content,” Arvelo said.
According to the seizure warrant filed today in the Eastern District of Virginia, the domains seized were sued over illegally offering users copyright-protected content in the form of real-time streams of the matches.
Federal homeland security investigators confirmed the seized domains were actively broadcasting World Cup matches without authorization, according to the DOJ.
Servers and domains linked to illegal streaming of World Cup games were targeted in Peru and Bulgaria, two known centers of online piracy activity, according to the DOJ.
Other operations took place in Croatia, Romania, Poland, and Colombia.
“When you open your network to illegal streaming sites, you’re taking a significant risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Washington Field Office.
The streams also expose viewers to potential threats, including malware attacks and unsecure connections that can compromise personal and financial data, Weindorf said.
The seized internet sites were identified with the help of FIFA and supporting information by beIN Media Group, NBC Universal, Motion Picture Association’s Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, Ultimate Fighting Championship, and Warner Bros.
Federal agents posted notices on the websites after they were seized, telling users the seizure was part of Operation Offsides, a coordinated global effort to protect consumers and enforce intellectual property rights.
“This operation illustrates the Department’s respect for intellectual property rights and the responsibility of the United States as a host nation to protect the FIFA World Cup from criminals,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division will continue to disrupt and, where appropriate, seek to prosecute these sites and the subjects responsible for this criminal activity.”
FIFA is the international governing body of the World Cup and holds the exclusive rights to sanction and stage the FIFA World Cup 2026, which is being hosted in multiple cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
