Court orders real-time blocking of unauthorized streaming platforms and directs ISPs and domain registrars to disclose registrant details to protect broadcast reproduction rights of DAZN Limited.
In a landmark judgment dated October 12, 2026, the Delhi High Court, presided over by Mr. Justice Tejas Karia, granted an ex-parte ad interim injunction in favour of DAZN Limited, the exclusive licensee of the broadcast rights for the Serie A Football Season 2026-27. The Court restrained 20 rogue websites from unauthorized streaming, broadcasting, or communicating the ongoing football season's content.
DAZN Limited had filed the suit alleging that Defendant Nos. 1 to 20, operating various websites such as stremeo.ru, mutstreams.ch, and streamed.pk, were illegally streaming live matches and other related content without authorization, thereby infringing the Plaintiff's exclusive licensed rights under the Copyright Act, 1957. The Plaintiff argued that these rogue platforms were circumventing their proprietary streaming mechanisms and offering free, geo-unrestricted access, causing substantial commercial losses.
Recognizing the urgency given the live nature of the event, the Court exempted the Plaintiff from pre-institution mediation under Section 12A of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, relying on the Supreme Court's decision in Yamini Manohar v. T.K.D. Krithi (2023). The Court also allowed the Plaintiff time to pay court fees and exempted notice requirements for certain government authorities involved.
The Court's injunction prohibits the defendants and their affiliates from hosting, streaming, rebroadcasting, or making available any part of the Serie A Football Season 2026-27 broadcasts, including footage and commentary. Importantly, the Court implemented a "Dynamic+ injunction" following the precedent set in Universal City Studios LLC v. Dotmovies.baby (2023), allowing DAZN Limited to notify ISPs and domain name registrars in real time of newly discovered infringing websites for immediate blocking during the event.
The Court directed domain name registrars (Defendant Nos. 32 to 43) to block and suspend the specified domain names associated with the infringing websites immediately upon service of the order. Additionally, these registrars must file sealed affidavits disclosing detailed registrant information, including contact and payment details, to assist enforcement. Internet service providers (Defendant Nos. 23 to 31) were also ordered to block access to the infringing websites promptly, and the Department of Telecommunications and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology were instructed to issue necessary directions for compliance.
The judgment underlines the protection extended to broadcast content under the Copyright Act, emphasizing that unauthorized dissemination erodes the commercial value of exclusive media rights. It recognizes the hydra-headed nature of piracy websites that frequently spawn mirror or redirect sites, necessitating dynamic and technologically calibrated injunctions to keep pace with evolving methods of infringement.
The Plaintiff is required to continue updating the Court on newly identified rogue websites and seek their impleadment, ensuring the injunction's effectiveness throughout the event. The Court also provided an avenue for mistakenly blocked non-infringing websites to approach it with an undertaking for relief.
This decision marks a significant step in combating digital piracy in India, reinforcing broadcasters' rights to protect their investments in live sporting events and empowering quick judicial intervention in the fast-moving digital landscape.
Bottom Line:
Copyright Act, 1957 - Broadcast reproduction rights - Unauthorized live streaming of sporting event by rogue websites - Ex parte ad interim injunction granted restraining infringing websites, directing domain name registrars and internet service providers to block access, disclose registrant details, and permitting real time dynamic blocking of newly discovered rogue websites during the currency of the event.
Statutory provision(s):
Copyright Act, 1957 Section 37, Commercial Courts Act, 2015 Section 12A, Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 Order XXXIX Rules 1 and 2, Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 Section 80, Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 Section 149, Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 Section 151
DAZN Limited v. Stremeo.ru, (Delhi) : Law Finder Doc Id # 2997247
