Star India gets Delhi HC nod to block ‘rogue’ streaming apps in real-time

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court, on Monday, granted a “superlative injunction” to Star India, allowing the network to avail real-time reliefs, including blocking, against rogue mobile applications infringing copyright and broadcast reproduction rights. 

This is in extension to an interim injunction Star India secured against IPTV Smarters and other unknown platforms engaged in unauthorised streaming of sports content. This interim injunction was awarded to Star India on February 10 this year, and allowed the network to avail relief against rogue websites. 

Following this, the network filed seven more applications highlighting 16 new domains and three mobile applications engaged in piracy of its live sports content, including the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

Seeing the fast-paced and organised nature of online piracy, the Delhi HC has granted a “superlative injunction” allowing Star India to resort to relief measures in real-time against rogue websites and mobile applications illegally streaming sports content. 

The order read, “In the new age of technology, today it has become increasingly easy and convenient for infringers to create alpha-numeric/ mirror/ redirect variants of infringing websites, and by the time impleadment and extension of relief(s) can take place, certain time-sensitive infringing activities like live streaming of sporting events have already commenced illegally and by the time the affected party like the plaintiff approaches this Court, it is too late.” 

Accordingly, the Court directed domain name registrars to suspend access to infringing domains, and internet service providers to block access on a real-time basis upon notification by Star. The defendants were also directed to disclose names, addresses and payment details related to the infringing platforms.

This is the first time that an Indian court has granted such an injunction. In the order, the court said, “This is a superlative injunction, which, for ease of reference, can easily be referred to as an extended version of the available dynamic+ injunction, as the said superlative injunction also opens up an additional route for the plaintiff to avail the grant of real-time relief against the infringing activities of ‘rogue’ defendant irrespective of the modes thereof .”