engine - 3:25 pm on Sep 7, 2012 (gmt 0)

U.S. DOJ Releases Sites Seized For 17 Months [pcadvisor.co.uk]

The U.S. Department of Justice has dropped its case against two Spanish websites that stream sports events nearly 17 months after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement seized the sites and shut them down for alleged copyright violations. In a one-page brief to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the district said his office had dropped the case against Rojadirecta.com and Rojadirecta.org. ICE seized the two sites on Jan. 31, 2011, and the DOJ asked the court to order that Puerto 80 Projects, the owner of the sites, forfeit the sites to the U.S. government. Judge Paul Crotty agreed on Wednesday to dismiss the case and return the websites to Puerto 80.