Almost 3,000 websites have been blocked or seized for illegally streaming World Cup matches, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has said. Ivan J. Arvelo, director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (NIPRCC), said unauthorised broadcasting of World Cup matches violated intellectual property rights and "fuels criminal organizations". The DOJ said at the end of last month it had taken down 400 webpages over illegal World Cup streaming. The crackdown on illegal streaming was also supported by Fifa, which organises the World Cup, beIN Media Group, NBC Universal, Ultimate Fighting Championship, and Warner Brothers. As well as illegal streaming, police in Colombia conducted "nationwide search-and-seizure operations" around counterfeit sports clothing.