What is the legality of the Atdhe.net website?

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security seized the Atdhe.net domain in 2011 for providing illegal access to copyrighted sporting event telecasts, reports CNet. The website was one of many illegal streaming sites taken down days prior to the 2011 Super Bowl.

The U.S. Attorney stated that illegal streaming sites forced sport leagues and broadcasters to raise ticket and pay-per-view prices to compensate for the loss of income, according to CNet. The operators of the Atdhe.net site responded to the seizure by moving the website content to a different domain and warning visitors that other sites using the "Atdhe" alias were impostor sites operated by unaffiliated parties.