The US Justice Department announced on Monday that 55 websites had been shut down for illegitimately live-streaming matches from the World Cup in Qatar.
The websites were taken down after a FIFA representative discovered them as being used to distribute copyright-violating material without FIFA’s consent, the department said in a statement.
FIFA holds exclusive rights to the World Cup, which has reached the semi-final stage.
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Despite widespread misconceptions to the contrary, the infringement of any intellectual property rights by websites like these poses a rising threat to the nation’s economic well-being, according to Homeland Security Department special agent James Harris.
According to Harris, “the impact can be seen throughout many businesses, and it can serve as a conduit to other types of illegal conduct.”
The Justice Department did not name the websites that had been taken down, but it did state that anyone who visited them would be taken to another website for more details.
