This message appears in place of the original websites that were formerly hosted under the domains seized by the U.S. government.

Just days before the Super Bowl, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security temporarily disrupted several popular online video websites that showed live streams of major sporting events.  Late last week, the agency launched “Operation In Our Sites,” which redirected site visitors to a notification claiming the “domain name has been seized.”

But critics charge the effort ultimately was a waste of U.S. taxpayer dollars and questions are being raised about the legality of interfering with one of the websites based in Spain, deemed legal by that country’s courts.

Rojadirecta, a Spanish website, does not actually host any live web streams itself, instead publishing links to other websites that do.  In operation since 2005, the enormously popular site today attracts more than one million visitors a day, most looking for live streams of game coverage.  After two Spanish courts found the website operating within Spanish law, the site’s profile and popularity only increased.

Since the domain names affected were registered through a U.S. registrar, it opened the door for the Department of Homeland Security to obtain a seizure warrant through the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

An affidavit filed with the court stated that piracy threatens “the leagues’ ability to sell game tickets and secure local television and radio carriage, and the value of advertising revenue generated by broadcast, radio and new media partners.” The agency also blamed online video piracy for high prices charged for stadium admission and for cable networks showing sporting events. “Sports fans are also victims, as the costs expended by sports leagues in an effort to address online piracy are passed on to fans when they purchase tickets or subscribe to sports networks.”

Rojadirecta wasn’t alone.  Other web addresses seized included:

• ATDHE.net
• Firstrow.net
• ChannelSurfing.net
• HQ-streams.com
• Ilemi.com

The agency’s actions commenced without any prior notification to the website owners.

“We have not been notified,” Rojadirecta’s Igor Seoane told TorrentFreak, a BitTorrent news site. “In our opinion the U.S. authorities are completely despising the Spanish justice system and sovereignty.”

Critics have attacked the agency for wasting taxpayer money chasing the video websites instead of finding Osama bin Laden.

Thanks to lobbying from Hollywood studios, language was inserted in the Patriot Act directing the agency to enforce U.S. copyright law at home and abroad.

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) called the web domain seizures “alarmingly unprecedented,” and could “stifle constitutionally protected speech.”  Wyden’s office has been in touch with the agency seeking clarification and justification for the domain seizures.

Questions about how worthwhile the effort ultimately was are also being raised, considering virtually all of the affected websites were restored and re-indexed by major search engines under new domain names within hours, sometimes minutes, after being seized.

• Rojadirecta is now Rojadirecta.es
• ATDHE.net is now atdhenet.tv
• Firstrow.net is now p2p4u.net
• ChannelSurfing.net is now Channelsurf.eu
• Ilemi.com transferred over to Ilemi.tv

Several of our readers who shared this story with us suggest the move by the federal agency backfired, because it gave new prominence to these websites many never heard of before last week.  We sure didn’t.  There are no sports enthusiasts here at Stop the Cap! HQ, but we were intrigued to find several of these sites linking live-streaming news channels, including CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, BBC World, and Fox News.  In fact, a few are even streaming ABC, CBS, and NBC stations for free.  Quality varies considerably.  The MSNBC feed has audio sync problems and CNN stutters.

At least one angry fan of the websites compiled a guide recommending websites be removed from Hollywood’s copyright enforcement ‘overreach’ by registering domain names through overseas providers.  They do not answer to the Department of Homeland Security.