Delhi High Court restrains rogue websites from hosting, streaming Akshay Kumar movie Ram Setu

The Delhi High Court recently passed an interim order restraining twenty-three ‘rogue websites’ from illegally streaming or hosting the upcoming movie Ram Setu after its producer filed a suit for copyright infringement [Cape of Good Films LLP v Hitmovies4u.Live & Ors]. .The film features Akshay Kumar in the lead role and is scheduled for theatrical release on October 25..Single-judge Justice Jyoti Singh passed the order after noting that the producer had made significant investment in the movie and it would severely impact their interest monetarily if the rogue websites are allowed to host the same. Therefore, the judge directed the Domain Name Registrars (DNRs) to suspend/block the domain names..The Court also directed the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) to issue necessary notifications calling upon various Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block access to the websites. “Defendants No. 1 to 23 (rogue websites) and all others acting for and/or on their behalf are restrained from in any manner hosting, streaming, retransmitting, exhibiting, making available for viewing and downloading, providing access to and/or communicating to the public, displaying, uploading, modifying, publishing, updating and/or sharing (including to its subscribers and users) on their websites through the internet or any other platform, the film ‘Ram Setu’ and contents related thereto, so as to infringe the Plaintiff’s exclusive rights and copyrights therein, till the next date of hearing,” the Court ordered..The movie’s producer – Cape of Good Films LLP – had approached the Court arguing that they are the owner of the movie in terms of the Copyright Act 1957. They said that the film is going to be released in India and they have spent huge sums in production of the film and have been actively promoting the same with a great deal of work and exercise in marketing, exploitation, distribution and advertisingThe Court, therefore, passed the order noting that the plaintiff has made out a prima facie case and balance of convenience lies in their favour and an irreparable harm would be caused if interim injunction is not passed..Advocates Shyel Trehan, Hitesh Jain, Pranav Sarthi, Pranav Nair, Monisha Mani, Tanwangi Shukla and Rohan Poddar appeared for the plaintiff.None appeared of defendants..[Read Order]