The Delhi High Court allowed the plaintiffs’ application seeking urgent interim relief and granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction restraining defendants from unauthorized streaming of the ‘Serie A’ Championship event.
Dazn Limited and its co-plaintiff acquired exclusive global media rights including live broadcast and digital streaming rights for the Serie A Championship starting 23 August 2025. The plaintiffs filed the suit seeking injunctions against defendants, primarily rogue websites and intermediaries, for unauthorized live streaming and distribution of their copyrighted broadcasts. The plaintiffs claimed infringement under Section 37 of the Copyright Act, 1957, emphasizing irreparable harm and substantial financial loss.
The plaintiffs highlighted the need for a dynamic injunction that not only covers identified infringing websites but also future rogue sites or mirror versions appearing during the event, given the evolving tactics of piracy.
The Bench comprising Justice Tejas Karia appreciated piracy’s dynamic and instantaneous nature, referencing the precedent for granting “Dynamic+” injunctions to protect ongoing and future copyrighted works[1].
The Court granted the ex-parte ad-interim injunction restraining defendants from unauthorized hosting, streaming, and communication of event content. It ordered domain name registrars and ISPs to block identified domains immediately and directed the plaintiffs to continue monitoring and informing the Court of new infringing sites for real-time blocking.
The Court reinforced the principle that injunctions in copyright piracy cases must be effective and dynamic, addressing the sophisticated modus operandi of pirate websites. The order permits plaintiffs to seek further impleadments of newly identified infringing websites. It also balances rights by allowing mistakenly blocked parties to seek modification upon undertaking no illegal dissemination intention.
Appearances:
For the Plaintiff: Mr. Siddharth Chopra, Mr. Yatinder Garg, Mr. Priyansh Kohli & Ms. Ishi Singh, Advocates.
For the Defendants: Nidhi Raman, Mr. Mayank Sansanwal & Mr. Om Ram, Advocates (For D-46&47)
[1] Universal City Studios LLC v. Dotmovies.baby, 2023:DHC:5842
