Piracy Of Copyrighted Content Presents Recurring Threat: Delhi High Court Orders Blocking Of Rogue Websites Illegally Streaming Jolly LLB 3

The Suit before the High Court was filed for a permanent injunction restraining the Defendant Websites and other unknown Parties from hosting, streaming, communicating in any manner or making available for viewing and downloading, without authorisation, on the Websites or other platforms, the content of the upcoming film Jolly LLB 3.

The Single Bench of Justice Tejas Karia stated, “The apprehension of the unauthorized dissemination, telecasting, or communication of the Film on the Websites shall pose a significant threat to the Plaintiff’s revenue streams undermining the value of the considerable investment made by the Plaintiff in producing the Film.”

“The issue of the Websites engaging in the piracy of copyrighted content presents a recurring threat and disseminating or communicating any portions of the Film, without proper authorization or licensing from the Plaintiff, would violate the Plaintiff’s Copyright”, it added.

Advocate Sidharth Chopra represented the Petitioner while Advocate Aishwarya Kane represented the Respondent.

Factual Background

The plaintiff, a media house and film production and distribution company, produced and acquired the exclusive media rights in various films across varied genres and languages. It was the plaintiff’s case that the websites, which include streaming websites and downloading websites were primarily and substantially engaged in communicating to the public, hosting, streaming and/or making available to the public the Plaintiff’s copyright-protected content as well third-party content (including films), without authorisation.

Various Domain Name Registrars (DNRs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), had been arrayed to ensure the effective implementation of any relief. The Plaintiff had also arrayed the Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to assist in enforcing/ ensuring compliance with any orders of injunction.

The plaintiff claimed that the defendants are illegally communicating, streaming, and making available the Plaintiff’s copyrighted content to viewers, resulting in infringement and unauthorised exploitation of the Plaintiff’s Copyright within this jurisdiction. The services offered by the Websites are not geo-restricted and are freely accessible to users across India, including in Delhi. Thus, the plaintiff approached the High Court seeking an injunction.

Reasoning

As per the Bench, a prima facie case was made out by the Plaintiff for the grant of an ex parte ad-interim injunction. The Plaintiff, being the producer and owner of the Film, has the exclusive distribution rights to publicly exhibit and communicate the Film and contents associated with it, through all modes, including but not limited to theatrical exhibition.

“In view of the above, given the fact that the Plaintiff’s Copyright in the Film is in question, if an ex-parte ad-interim injunction is not granted at this stage, irreparable harm would be caused to the Plaintiff as the Film is scheduled to be released on 19.09.2025, it is evident that the considering the possibility of unauthorized dissemination of the Film in question in the age of internet would require effective and swift means to contain the spread of unauthorized dissemination of the Film”, the Bench held.

The Bench was of the view that any delay in blocking access to Websites or any other rogue websites providing the Impugned Services, could lead to financial losses for the Plaintiff and an irreparable breach of their Copyright. “Therefore, swift action to prevent the alleged infringements is crucial in the present case”, it held while restraining the Defendants from communicating, hosting, streaming, screening, or making available for viewing/downloading, without authorization of the Film, ‘Jolly LLB 3’, on any electronic or digital platform, in any manner whatsoever.

The Bench also directed the Department of Communication and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to issue a notification calling upon the various ISPs registered under them to block access to the various domains/websites and such other websites/domains that may subsequently be notified by the Plaintiff to be infringing/authorising infringement of its Copyright.

“If any website, which is not primarily an infringing website, is blocked in pursuance of this Order, it is permitted to approach the Court by giving an undertaking that it does not intend to do any illegal dissemination of the content over which the Plaintiff has Copyright and the Court would consider modifying the injunction if the facts and circumstances, so warrant”, the Bench concluded.

The matter has now been listed on January 20, 2026.

Cause Title: Jiostar India Private Limited v. Vegamovies.yachts ( Neutral Citation: CS(COMM) 977/2025)

Appearance

Petitioner: Advocates Sidharth Chopra, Yatinder Garg, Priyansh Kohl, Ishi Singh

Respondent: Advocate Aishwarya Kane

Click here to read/download Order