Delhi High Court Grants Interim Injunction to Protect Saregama's Copyrights

Court Restrains Stream Ripping Websites from Unauthorized Downloading and Distribution of Copyrighted Works

In a significant judgment delivered by the Delhi High Court on November 10, 2025, Justice Tejas Karia granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction in favor of Saregama India Limited against several stream ripping websites accused of infringing copyrighted works. The court's decision comes as a relief to the plaintiff, Saregama, which has been combating unauthorized stream ripping activities that cause substantial economic harm and disrupt its legitimate business models.

Saregama India Limited, a prominent music company, holds copyrights over a vast catalog of sound recordings, musical compositions, and literary works. The company licenses its works through leading digital streaming platforms such as YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, and Amazon Music. Despite these arrangements, several websites operated by the defendants have been engaged in unauthorized reproduction, downloading, and distribution of Saregama's copyrighted works, undermining the company's licensing efforts.

Justice Karia's order highlighted the defendants' systematic and commercial infringement of Saregama's exclusive rights under the Copyright Act, 1957. The judgment noted that stream ripping websites facilitate the extraction and unauthorized download of audio content from streamed videos, allowing users to access and store copyrighted works independently of the original streaming platforms. This unauthorized activity circumvents technological protection measures and contractual obligations set by licensed streaming services.

The court recognized the grave prejudice caused to Saregama by these actions, which not only deprive the company of lawful revenue but also dilute its market share and licensing arrangements. Justice Karia emphasized the distinction between streaming and downloading, noting that stream ripping disrupts the legitimate monetization models of streaming platforms by enabling unauthorized conversions of streams into downloadable files.

In light of the unauthorized activities, the court ordered the defendants to cease stream ripping of Saregama's copyrighted works. Specific directives were issued to domain name registrars and internet service providers to lock and suspend domains associated with infringing websites, and to block access to URLs violating Saregama's copyrights.

The judgment also exempted Saregama from pre-institution mediation under the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, citing the urgency of the interim relief sought. Additionally, the court permitted Saregama to file certain documents in electronic formats and granted leave to place additional documents on record.

The order serves as a crucial enforcement tool for Saregama, allowing the company to protect its intellectual property rights and maintain control over its content distribution channels. The court's intervention marks a significant step in addressing the challenges posed by unauthorized stream ripping, which continues to impact the music industry's revenue streams and licensing frameworks.

The case is scheduled for further proceedings on February 27, 2026, as the court seeks compliance with its orders and the submission of additional pleadings.

Bottom Line:

Intellectual Property Rights - Unauthorized stream ripping of copyrighted works by websites and entities causing significant economic harm to the copyright owner - Interim injunction granted to restrain such activities.

Statutory provision(s): Copyright Act, 1957 Sections 13, 14, 51; Commercial Courts Act, 2015 Section 12A; Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 Order XI Rule 1(4), Order XXXIX Rule 1 & 2

Saregama India Limited v. En.Ssyou.Tube, (Delhi) : Law Finder Doc Id # 2810781