The Delhi High Court has restrained the rogue websites of Defendants and anyone acting on their behalf, till the next date of hearing, from communicating, hosting, streaming, screening, disseminating or making available for viewing or downloading any part of the sporting events on any electronic or digital platform over which Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt Ltd holds exclusive broadcast rights, absent any authorization. It further directed Defendants, being the domain name registrars, to block and suspend the identified domain names forthwith upon service of the order.
The Court held that where a plaintiff (Sony Pictures) demonstrates exclusive copyright or broadcast reproduction rights over identified content, and the defendant websites are prima facie rogue websites systematically engaged in unauthorized streaming and communication of that content to the public, the Court can grant ex parte ad interim relief to immediately restrain such infringement. The Court recognized that in cases of ongoing live sporting broadcasts, delay itself can defeat copyright protection and therefore urgent blocking relief is justified. It also reinforced that relief in such cases can be made operational not only against named infringing websites, but also against further websites discovered during the currency of the sporting events.
The Court further ordered that during the currency of the sporting events, if Sony discovers additional unauthorized streaming websites, it may communicate their details to Defendants, who must immediately take steps to block them, while DoT and MeitY must issue necessary blocking orders upon receiving those details.
A Single Judge Bench of Justice Jyoti Singh noted that Sony had made out a prima facie case for grant of ex parte ad interim injunction and held that the balance of convenience lay in its favour. It observed that piracy by rogue websites is a recurring threat and reiterated that piracy must be curbed and dealt with “with a heavy hand”. It also found that immediate relief was necessary because the concerned cricket tours were ongoing and would conclude in July 2026, and any delay in blocking access to the infringing websites or similar rogue websites would result in irreparable breach of Sony’s copyrights, apart from revenue loss and irreparable damage.
The Bench also took note of the nature of the websites and the wider judicial approach to such piracy actions. It referred to the indicia of “rogue websites” recognized in UTV Software Communication Ltd. v. 1337X [2019 SCC OnLine Del 8002] and relied on Universal City Studios LLC v. Dotmovies Baby [2023 SCC OnLine Del 4955] to acknowledge that effective injunctions in piracy matters may need to extend beyond already identified infringing content, given the dynamic and hydra-headed nature of such websites.
Briefly, the dispute relates to a commercial suit filed by Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited against several rogue streaming websites, domain name registrars, internet service providers, the Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Sony stated that it is the exclusive broadcaster and rights holder in relation to several sporting events, including ongoing cricket tours such as the New Zealand tour of England (Men’s) 2026 and the India tour of England (Women’s) 2026, and that the defendant websites were unlawfully streaming and making available its broadcast content without authorization. Sony relied on its exclusive broadcast and exploitation rights over live and deferred coverage, match footage, highlights and related audio-visual content, and alleged infringement of its broadcast reproduction rights under Section 37 of the Copyright Act, 1957.
Sony further asserted that the defendant websites were “rogue websites” whose primary purpose was to transmit, stream, host and provide access to copyrighted broadcasts without permission, while concealing their ownership and contact details. It was argued that these websites were systematically organized, openly advertised upcoming matches, and were part of a sustained pattern of unauthorized streaming and dissemination of copyrighted content. Sony also sought urgent relief on the ground that the sporting events were already ongoing and any delay in blocking access would cause irreparable loss, including copyright injury and revenue loss.
