Delhi High Court orders blocking of illegal streaming websites airing Netflix, Disney, Universal content

The Delhi High Court has ordered for the blocking of 34 illegal streaming websites providing access to pirated movies and shows while acting on a plea of six international movie production giants, including Netflix and Disney [Universal City Studios LLC & Ors v. 123Movieshub.tc & Ors]..Justice Asha Menon noted that the illegal websites created with the primary and sole objective of pirating copyrighted works for commercial benefits could not be permitted to continue doing so till the disposal of the suit.The suit was filed by production houses including Universal City Studios, Warner Bros Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, Netflix Studios, Paramount Pictures Corporation and Disney Enterprises..They listed out the piracy of movies like Mulan, Lego Batman, Finding Nemo, Finding Dory, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, San Andreas and Joker and TV series like Mob Psycho, Friends, Stranger Things, Sacred Games, Jojo's Bizarre Adventures and Arrow, to point out the “immense loss” caused to them..34 websites were observed to have been created to upload pirated movies, TV programmes etc.“These websites are anonymous in nature. The information provided in the public domain regarding the owners of the websites is inherently incorrect or protected behind the veil of secrecy and hidden behind private domain services offered by various domain name registrars,” the order underlined..Finding “force” in the contention of the counsel for the plaintiffs, the Court reasoned that it was virtually impossible to bring the owners of these websites before the Court and to ensure that the orders are complied with.“Yet there is no gainsaying that these websites are actively streaming motion pictures and television content of the plaintiffs through illegal means. The legal notices issued to them have evoked no response,” it noted..As a result, nine internet service providers made party to the suit were directed to block access to the 34 websites within 24 hours of receiving the order, which was passed on February 21.Besides, the Department of Telecommunications and the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology were directed to issue notifications calling upon the telecom service providers registered under them to disable access to these websites within 36 hours of receiving the order..However, earlier in the order, the Court found it ex-facie incorrect that the plaintiffs had joined all the websites in the present suit, as the creative content of each plaintiff varied from the other. It eventually allowed the plaint to be registered as a suit, noting that the reliefs claimed were against the same set of defendants. It was held that it cannot reject the suit on the ground of this procedural objection..“It is for that reason alone that the court is inclined not to direct the splitting up of this particular suit as separate suits to be numbered as such, also in the light of the fact that separate court fees has been paid. But it is not a practice that can be encouraged,” the order stated.Summons were issued against the defendants in the suit ,following which the Court ordered barred access to the websites. The matter was listed before the Joint Registrar on May 10 for completion of service and pleadings..Advocates Saikrishna Rajagopal, Sidharth Chopra, Suhasini Raina, Disha Sharma and Sanidhya Rao represented the six plaintiffs..[Read Order]