Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Sept 5: After Star India filed a complaint for an ex-parte ad-interim injunction, the Delhi High Court barred 18 websites from illegally streaming the upcoming Ranbri Kapoor film Brahmastra. Justice Jyoti Singh stated that the film is a copyrighted product of the plaintiff, Star India, which has invested significantly in its development and promotion.
The Court also stated that piracy must be discouraged and treated with harshly, and that an injunction barring screening of copyrighted content by rogue websites should be granted.
Justice Singh also ordered that the domain names of these rogue websites be blocked or suspended by various Domain Name Registrars (DNRs).
The Department of Technology (DoT) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) have also been asked to send notifications to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) requesting that access to the websites be blocked.
Star India filed an application with the High Court, claiming that it is the film’s producer and that any third party interfering with its exclusive rights will be found to infringe the copyright.
The Court was informed that the film will be shown in theatres on September 9, and that it is industry tradition to first release the picture for theatrical exhibition before making it available for viewing on various platforms.
However, the Court was informed that the rogue websites, in order to generate illicit profits, manufacture infringing copies and make them available for watching, downloading, and communication to the public virtually simultaneously with the theatrical debut of the picture.
In the past, infringing versions of multiple movies produced/distributed by the plaintiff were transmitted to the public and made available for viewing and downloading on various websites within hours of their theatrical premiere, according to Star.
The Court said that the plaintiff has made a prima facie case for grant of ex-parte injunction and, therefore, passed the directions for blocking of the websites.
