The Court has ordered the blocking of 22 ‘rogue websites’ that were found to be illegally streaming television channels, cricket matches, France Ligue, and the LaLiga.
Justice Prathiba M. Singh issued an interim order on August 2, directing the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) and Department of Technology (DoT) to issue blocking orders against these websites within 24 hours. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) were instructed to block access to the websites and their mobile applications.
Star India had filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction against these websites to prevent fraudulent broadcasting of the upcoming Asia Cup cricket matches and associated content.
The court agreed with Star’s concerns and concluded that the websites were indeed fraudulent and contained pirated content. Thus, an injunction order was issued to restrain these websites from hosting, streaming, broadcasting, or disseminating cricketing events related to the Asia Cup 2022.
The court also directed Domain Name Registrars (DNRs) to suspend the domain names of the 22 questionable websites and provide full information, including name, address, IP address, and Know Your Customer (KYC) details. Additionally, the DNRs were required to disclose details of other websites registered by these 22 sites and the complaints lodged against them.
The next hearing of the case is scheduled for December 19, with Star India represented by attorneys Sidharth Chopra, Yatinder Garg, Akshay Maloo, and Rimjhim Tiwari, while no representation was made on behalf of the defendants in court.
