CS COMM--724/2017. Case: UTV SOFTWARE COMMUNICATION LTD. AND ORS Vs. 1337X.TO AND ORS. High Court of Delhi (India)
| Case Number | CS COMM--724/2017 |
| Citation | NA |
| Judgement Date | April 10, 2019 |
| Court | High Court of Delhi (India) |
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* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
+ CS(COMM) 724/2017 & I.As. 12269/2017, 12271/2017,
8949/2018 AND 16781/2018
UTV SOFTWARE
COMMUNICATION LTD. AND ORS ..... Plaintiffs
Through: Mr. Saikrishna Rajagopal, Advocate with Ms. Suhasini Raina, Ms.
Gitanjali Mathew and Ms. Disha Sharma, Advocates
versus
1337X.TO AND ORS ..... Defendants
Through: Mr. Hemant Singh, Advocate as
Amicus Curiae with Ms. Mamta Jha,
Advocate.
Mr. Tanvir Nayar, Advocate with Mr. Ramnish Khanna, Advocate for D-8.
Mr. Abhishek Bakshi, Advocate for defendant No.10.
Ms. Suruchi Thapar, Advocate with Mr. Ajay Kumar, Advocate for defendant No.19.
Mr. K.R. Sasiprabhu, Advocate with Mr. Aditya Shandilya and Mr. Tushar Bhardwaj, Advocates for Reliance Jio Ltd.
Mr. Ruchir Mishra, Advocate with Mr. Mukesh Kr. Tiwari, Advocate for defendants No.25 and 26.
WITH
CS (COMM) 724/2017 & Ors. Page 1 of
+ CS(COMM) 768/2018 & I.As. 4329/2018, 4331/2018, 10396/2018
AND 16782/2018
UTV SOFTWARE
COMMUNICATIONS LTD.& ORS. ..... Plaintiffs
Through: Mr. Saikrishna Rajagopal, Advocate
with Ms. Suhasini Raina, Ms. Gitanjali
Mathew and Ms. Disha Sharma,
Advocates
versus
BMOVIES.IS AND ORS. ..... Defendants
Through: Mr. Hemant Singh, Advocate as
Amicus with Ms. Mamta Jha,
Advocate.
Mr. Ramnish Khanna, Advocate for
Bharti Airtel Ltd.-D-6.
Mr. Tanvir Nayar, Advocate with
Mr. Abhishek Bakshi, Advocate for
defendant No.11.
Mr. A.P.Sahay, CGSC with Mr. Suraj
Kumar, Advocate for UOI.
Mr. K.R. Sasiprabhu, Advocate with
Mr. Aditya Shandilya and Mr. Tushar
Bhardwaj, Advocates for Reliance Jio
Ltd.
Mr. Vineet S. Shrivastawa, Advocate for defendant No.20.
Mr. T.N. Durga Prasad, Advocate with Mr. Gagan Kumar, Advocate for Atria Convergence Technologies.
AND
CS (COMM) 724/2017 & Ors. Page 2 of
+ CS(COMM) 770/2018 & I.As. 4358/2018, 4360/2018, 10402/2018
AND 16785/2018
UTV SOFTWARE
COMMUNICATIONS LTD & ORS. ..... Plaintiffs
Through: Mr. Saikrishna Rajagopal, Advocate with Ms. Suhasini Raina, Ms.
Gitanjali Mathew and Ms. Disha Sharma, Advocates
versus
FMOVIES.PE AND ORS. ..... Defendants
Through: Mr. Hemant Singh, Advocate as
Amicus Curiae with Ms. Mamta Jha,
Advocate.
Mr. Ramnish Khanna, Advocate for
Bharti Airtel Ltd./D-6.
Mr. Ajay Digpaul, CGSC with
Ms. Madhuri Dhingra, Advocates for
Union of India.
Mr. Tanvir Nayar, Advocate with Mr. Abhishek Bakshi, Advocate for defendant No.9.
Mr. K.R. Sasiprabhu, Advocate with Mr. Aditya Shandilya and Mr. Tushar
Bhardwaj, Advocates for Reliance Jio
Ltd.
Mr. T.N. Durga Prasad, Advocate with Mr. Gagan Kumar, Advocate for Atria Convergence Technologies.
Mr. Vineet S. Shrivastwa, Advocate for defendant No.18.
AND
CS (COMM) 724/2017 & Ors. Page 3 of
+ CS(COMM) 776/2018 & I.As. 4546/2018, 4548/2018, 10404/2018
AND 16779/2018
UTV SOFTWARE
COMMUNICATIONS LTD. & ORS ..... Plaintiffs
Through: Mr. Saikrishna Rajagopal, Advocate with Ms. Suhasini Raina, Ms.
Gitanjali Mathew and Ms. Disha Sharma, Advocates
versus
RARBG.IS AND ORS ..... Defendants
Through: Mr. Hemant Singh, Advocate as
Amicus Curiae with Ms. Mamta Jha,
Advocate.
Mr. Ramnish Khanna, Advocate for Bharti Airtel Ltd./D-6.
Mr. Vivek Goyal, Advocate with Mr. Pawan Pathak, Advocate for UOI.
Mr. Tanvir Nayar, Advocate with
Mr. Abhishek Bakshi, Advocate for defendant No.9.
Mr. K.R. Sasiprabhu, Advocate with
Mr. Aditya Shandilya and Mr. Tushar
Bhardwaj, Advocates for Reliance Jio
Ltd.
Mr. T.N. Durga Prasad, Advocate with Mr. Gagan Kumar, Advocate for Atria Convergence Technologies.
Mr. Vineet S. Shrivastawa, Advocate for defendant No.18.
AND
CS (COMM) 724/2017 & Ors. Page 4 of
+ CS(COMM) 777/2018 & I.As. 4549/2018, 4551/2018, 10405/2018
AND 16786/2018
UTV SOFTWARE
COMMUNICATIONS LTD. & ORS ..... Plaintiffs
Through: Mr. Saikrishna Rajagopal, Advocate with Ms. Suhasini Raina, Ms.
Gitanjali Mathew and Ms. Disha Sharma, Advocates
versus
THEPIRATEBAY.ORG AND ORS ..... Defendants
Through: Mr. Hemant Singh, Advocate as
Amicus Curiae with Ms. Mamta Jha,
Advocate.
Mr. Ramnish Khanna, Advocate for
Bharti Airtel Ltd./D-6.
Mr. Tanvir Nayar, Advocate with
Mr. Abhishek Bakshi, Advocate for defendant No.9.
Mr. K.R. Sasiprabhu, Advocate with Mr. Aditya Shandilya and Mr. Tushar Bhardwaj, Advocates for Reliance Jio
Ltd.
Mr. T.N. Durga Prasad, Advocate with Mr. Gagan Kumar, Advocate for Atria Convergence Technologies.
Mr. Vineet S. Shrivastawa, Advocate for defendant No.18.
Mr. Akshay Makhija, Advocate with Mr. Ankit Tyuagi, Advocate for defendants No.24 and 25.
AND
CS (COMM) 724/2017 & Ors. Page 5 of
+ CS(COMM) 778/2018 & I.As. 4552/2018, 4554/2018, 10406/2018
AND 16783/2018
TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX
FILM CORPORATION & ORS ..... Plaintiffs
Through: Mr. Saikrishna Rajagopal, Advocate with Ms. Suhasini Raina, Ms.
Gitanjali Mathew and Ms. Disha Sharma, Advocates
versus
YTS.AM AND ORS ..... Defendants
Through: Mr. Hemant Singh, Advocate as
Amicus Curiae with Ms. Mamta Jha,
Advocate.
Mr. Ramnish Khanna, Advocate for
Bharti Airtel Ltd./D-6.
Mr. K.R. Sasiprabhu, Advocate with
Mr. Aditya Shandilya and Mr. Tushar Bhardwaj, Advocates for Reliance Jio
Ltd.
Mr. Tanvir Nayar, Advocate with
Mr. Abhishek Bakshi, Advocate for defendant No.10.
Mr. T.N. Durga Prasad, Advocate with Mr. Gagan Kumar, Advocate for Atria Convergence Technologies.
Mr. Vineet S. Shrivastawa, Advocate for defendant No.20.
AND
CS (COMM) 724/2017 & Ors. Page 6 of
+ CS(COMM) 799/2018 & I.As. 4914/2018, 4916/2018, 10401/2018
AND 16780/2018
UTV SOFTWARE
COMMUNICATIONS LTD. & ORS ..... Plaintiffs
Through: Mr. Saikrishna Rajagopal, Advocate with Ms. Suhasini Raina, Ms.
Gitanjali Mathew and Ms. Disha Sharma, Advocates
versus
EXTRATORRENT.AG & ORS ..... Defendants
Through: Mr. Hemant Singh, Advocate as
Amicus Curiae with Ms. Mamta Jha,
Advocate.
Mr. Ramnish Khanna, Advocate for
Bharti Airtel Ltd./D-6.
Mr. K.R. Sasiprabhu, Advocate with
Mr. Aditya Shandilya and Mr. Tushar Bhardwaj, Advocates for Reliance Jio
Ltd.
Mr. Tanvir Nayar, Advocate with
Mr. Abhishek Bakshi, Advocate for defendant No.9.
Mr. T.N. Durga Prasad, Advocate with Mr. Gagan Kumar, Advocate for Atria Convergence Technologies.
Mr. Vineet S. Shrivastawa, Advocate for defendant No.18.
Ms. Shiva Lakshmi, CGSC with
Mr. Siddharth Singh, Advocate for
UOI.
AND
CS (COMM) 724/2017 & Ors. Page 7 of
+ CS(COMM) 800/2018 & I.As. 4917/2018, 4919/2018,
AND 16784/2018
UTV SOFTWARE
COMMUNICATIONS LTD. & ORS ..... Plaintiffs
Through: Mr. Saikrishna Rajagopal, Advocate with Ms. Suhasini Raina, Ms.
Gitanjali Mathew and Ms. Disha Sharma, Advocates
versus
TORRENTMOVIES.CO & ORS ..... Defendants
Through: Mr. Hemant Singh, Advocate as
Amicus Curiae with Ms. Mamta Jha,
Advocate.
Mr. Ramnish Khanna, Advocate for
Bharti Airtel Ltd.
Mr. Ajay Digpaul, CGSC with
Ms. Madhuri Dhingra, Advocates for Union of India.
Mr. Tanvir Nayar, Advocate with
Mr. Abhishek Bakshi, Advocate for defendant No.9.
Mr. K.R. Sasiprabhu, Advocate with Mr. Aditya Shandilya and Mr. Tushar Bhardwaj, Advocates for Reliance Jio
Ltd.
Mr. Vineet S. Shrivastawa, Advocate for defendant No.18.
Mr. T.N. Durga Prasad, Advocate with Mr. Gagan Kumar, Advocate for Atria Convergence Technologies.
Reserved on : 26th February, 2019 % Date of Decision: 10th April, 2019
CS (COMM) 724/2017 & Ors. Page 8 of
CORAM:
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MANMOHAN
J U D G M E N T
MANMOHAN , J :
“Whoops! The web is not the web we wanted in every respect”
Tim Berners-Lee, Inventor of Web
1. It is rare that in an ex-parte matter questions of law of general importance arise for consideration. However, in the present batch ex-parte matters the following seminal issues arise for consideration:-
(A) Whether an infringer of copyright on the internet is to be differently from an infringer in the physical world?
(B) Whether seeking blocking of a website dedicated to piracy one an opponent of a free and open internet?
(C) What is a ‗Rogue Website‘ ?
(D) Whether the test for determining a ‗Rogue Website‘ is a qualitative or a quantitative one?
(E) Whether the defendant-websites fall in the category of ‗ Websites‘?
(F) Whether this Court would be justified to pass directions to block ‗Rogue Websites‘ in their entirety?
(G) How should the Court deal with the ‗hydra headed‘ Websites‘ who on being blocked, actually multiply and resurface redirect or mirror or alphanumeric websites?
CS (COMM) 724/2017 & Ors. Page 9 of
BRIEF FACTS
2. The present eight suits have been filed by the plaintiffs seeking injunction restraining infringement of copyright on account defendants communicating to the public the plaintiffs‘ content/cinematographic works without authorization. The reliefs sought by the plaintiffs can broadly be classified as under:-
-
Permanent injunction restraining the defendants from communicating, making available, etc. the original content plaintiffs on their website.
-
Order directing Internet Service Providers (hereinafter referred “ISPs” ) to block access to the websites of the defendants.
-
Order directing Registrars of the defendant-websites to disclose contact details and other relevant details of the registrants.
3. The plaintiffs are companies, who are engaged in the business creating content, producing and distributing cinematographic films the world including in India.
4. Four classes of defendants have been impleaded in the matters, namely:-
-
Certain identifiable websites that are unauthorizedly publishing communicating the Plaintiffs‘ copyrighted works. In the present batch of eight suits filed by the plaintiffs, thirty websites have been arrayed as defendants. The list of identifiable infringing websites arrayed defendants in the present suits are:-
CS (COMM) 724/2017 & Ors...
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