Delhi High Court Grants Dynamic Injunction to Curb IPL Piracy, Targets Rogue Streaming Platforms

The Delhi High Court has granted significant interim relief to JioStar India Private Limited by issuing a dynamic injunction aimed at tackling the growing menace of digital piracy during live sporting events, particularly the Indian Premier League.

A bench led by Justice Jyoti Singh passed the order against multiple rogue platforms, including Abasi TV, CricfyTV, and CrickPK, which were allegedly engaged in unauthorised streaming of premium sports content. In a related matter heard the same day, Justice Tushar Rao Gedela also granted similar relief against platforms such as Daddylives.nl and a network of mirror and proxy websites.

Court’s intervention comes against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving piracy ecosystem, where rogue websites and mobile applications, some allegedly linked to entities operating from Pakistan, stream live sports content to Indian audiences without authorisation. These platforms often exploit the high demand during major tournaments by offering free access, thereby undermining legitimate broadcasting rights.

During the proceedings, counsel for JioStar presented detailed data illustrating how piracy networks proliferate in real time once marquee events like the IPL commence. It was submitted that while an initial set of infringing websites is typically identified at the time of filing, hundreds of additional platforms emerge as the tournament progresses.

Referring to the previous IPL season, the company informed the court that approximately 458 rogue websites were detected during the course of the event, necessitating the filing of 49 additional affidavits to formally bring them on record. A similar pattern was observed in other sporting events, where 128 newly identified infringing websites required documentation through 19 additional affidavits.

Court took note of these submissions and acknowledged that traditional or static injunctions are inadequate to address such a dynamic and adaptive threat. It recognised that piracy in live sports broadcasting is particularly challenging, as illegal streams tend to spike during real time matches and quickly shift across domains to evade enforcement.

In this context, court granted a dynamic injunction, a legal mechanism that allows the rights holder to notify authorities and intermediaries to block access to newly discovered rogue websites without approaching the court repeatedly. This applies specifically to mirror, redirect, or alphanumeric variants of websites already identified as infringing.

Court also examined the role of government bodies such as the Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in implementing such blocking orders. While previous judicial directions had required these authorities to facilitate enforcement, court noted that certain procedural gaps remained in ensuring timely and effective compliance.

It indicated that these aspects may require further strengthening to ensure that blocking orders are executed swiftly, especially during live events where delays can render enforcement ineffective.

The order reflects a growing judicial recognition of the scale and sophistication of digital piracy, particularly in the context of high value sports broadcasting. With the increasing reliance on digital platforms for content consumption, broadcasters face mounting challenges in protecting their rights against technologically agile infringing networks.

By endorsing a dynamic enforcement framework, the high court has provided a more practical and responsive legal tool to combat piracy. The ruling is expected to have wider implications across the media and entertainment industry, especially for stakeholders involved in live sports broadcasting.

As rogue platforms continue to evolve, often operating across jurisdictions and deploying evasive tactics, court’s approach signals a shift towards more flexible and technology aligned remedies. The decision is likely to strengthen ongoing anti-piracy efforts and offer a measure of protection to legitimate broadcasters during major sporting events.

With Inputs From: E4M