Delhi High Court Grants Permanent Injunction Against Pirate Apps Violating Star India's Copyright

The Delhi High Court has issued a permanent injunction against several pirate apps and websites, including Ninja TV, RTS TV, Kyte TV, Picaso TV, Stream India, and Hotstar Mod App, for unlawfully broadcasting and distributing content owned by Star India Pvt. Ltd.

Star India is a leading entertainment and media corporation that operates multiple channels airing popular programming in various languages. It also owns and operates the popular streaming platform Disney+Hotstar. The company approached the court to prevent the defendants from using their rogue websites and mobile applications to unlawfully stream and distribute copyrighted content.

According to Star India, these rogue applications offered free or inexpensive subscriptions that granted unauthorized access to their content. Reports suggest that the infringing websites acted as repositories for illegal applications, enabling Android users to download them directly onto their devices.

On April 6, 2022, the Court issued an ex parte ad interim order barring the defendants from violating Star’s copyrights. However, despite receiving notice, none of the defendants appeared in court or submitted written statements.

Justice Amit Bansal observed that under Order VIII Rule 10 of the CPC, the Court can pass a judgment if a party fails to submit a written statement within the prescribed timeframe. Because the defendants were non-compliant, the Court proceeded with the case without a trial.

The Court found that the defendants intentionally created and distributed the rogue websites and applications to profit from Star's copyrighted content. It stated, "The defendants are intentionally and knowingly developing, distributing, and making available the rogue websites and infringing mobile applications to abuse copyright-protected works and violate the plaintiffs' broadcasting and copyright rights."

The Court concluded that the illegal platforms caused irreparable damage to Star India by depriving it of substantial profits and diminishing the value of its copyrights. Consequently, the Court issued a permanent injunction, prohibiting the defendants, their owners, partners, or agents from streaming or making Star’s content accessible for download on their platforms without authorization.

This ruling is a significant step toward protecting intellectual property rights in the digital age. It sets a precedent for stricter action against online piracy.

Read the judgement - here