Penalty Flag: Federal Authorities Tackle Web Piracy Before Super Bowl
By Rob Scott
February 6, 2012
February 6, 2012
- Just three days before the Super Bowl, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shut down more than 300 websites that illegally live stream sports telecasts and allegedly sell counterfeit sports merchandise.
- Sixteen of the sites reportedly provided links to pirated versions of live and PPV events for the NFL, NBA, NHL and World Wrestling Entertainment.
- “Sports fans may be tempted by illegal streaming websites, but in the end, it is they who pay the price,” explained Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. “These websites and their operators deprive sports leagues and networks of legitimate revenue, forcing spectators and viewers to bear the cost of this piracy down the line.”
- “The sweeping crackdown, part of an effort dubbed ‘Operation Fake Sweep’ that launched in October, was coordinated with the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations team,” reports POLITICO Pro.
- A similar operation shut down the domains of 10 sites prior to last year’s Super Bowl, but some of the sites reappeared using new Web addresses.
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