Federal authorities have seized nearly 400 domains operating in violation of U.S. copyright laws, disrupting international piracy networks capitalizing on the tournament’s global audience. The operation, led by the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, targeted servers and infrastructure across multiple nations known to host online piracy hubs.
Operation Offsides
The enforcement effort, code-named Operation Offsides, relied heavily on assistance from FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, as well as private-sector media and entertainment entities. The operation aimed to disrupt the international networks that profit from the global popularity of the World Cup.
According to federal data, the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) has secured over 180 convictions of cybercriminals and intellectual property offenders since 2020, resulting in court orders returning more than $350 million to victims.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
