The Delhi High Court has granted an ex parte interim injunction in favor of Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt. Ltd., restraining several websites from broadcasting, streaming, downloading, or making available the company's exclusive sports content without authorization.
Justice Jyoti Singh directed Domain Name Registrars (DNRs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to suspend the identified domain names and block public access to the infringing websites.
Court Finds Prima Facie Case
According to the court, Sony established a strong prima facie case for interim relief. The order noted that digital piracy of live sports broadcasts continues to cause significant commercial losses and undermines exclusive broadcasting rights.
The court observed that allowing unauthorized streaming to continue during major sporting events—including India's men's and women's 2026 tours of England—could result in irreparable harm to Sony's licensed broadcasting business.
Dynamic Blocking Permitted
Recognizing that piracy websites frequently change domains, the court authorized Sony to notify authorities of newly identified infringing websites during ongoing sporting events.
Upon receiving such information, the relevant authorities may block additional domains without waiting for a fresh court order, subject to later procedural filings by Sony.
Sony's Claims
Sony informed the court that it holds exclusive broadcasting rights for numerous international sporting events, including cricket tournaments and other global competitions. The company alleged that several websites were unlawfully retransmitting its copyrighted content while concealing their identities through domain privacy services.
According to Sony, these activities violate copyright law and cause substantial financial damage to legitimate rights holders.
Next Hearing
The Delhi High Court has issued summons to the respondents. The matter is scheduled for its next hearing on August 4, while the application concerning interim relief will be heard again on October 9.
