ANI Moves Delhi High Court Against YouTuber Mohak Mangal Over Extortion Video, Also Sues Kunal Kamra & Mohd Zubair For Sharing Video

ANI Media Private Limited has filed a defamation suit before the Delhi High Court against YouTuber Mohak Mangal alleging that his recent YouTube video against the news agency is disparaging and defamatory.

The suit has been filed against Mangal's YouTube video titled “Dear ANI” which has 5.5 million views at present.

The suit also names comedian Kunal Kamra, AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair and unknown entities (john does) as defendants for sharing Mangal's video on their X Corp (formerly Twitter) handles.

As per the suit, Mangal in his YouTube video has alleged that ANI, in seeking to enforce its copyright over its published content, is holding people hostage and committing extortion and blackmail.

It further states that Mangal has called upon all members of public to unsubscribe to all the services offered by ANI.

ANI has claimed that in his video, Mangal has deliberately misrepresented communications with ANI, including by using artificial intelligence tools, with the intent to target and malign the news agency and its employees.

The suit submits that the Impugned Video reflects a “calculated and malicious attack” on the reputation, credibility, and goodwill of ANI and also its registered trademarks.

“Even the thumbnail and preview of the Impugned Video prominently features the Plaintiff's ANI trademarks without the Plaintiff's consent. The thumbnail is being widely circulated across various social media platforms, accompanied with misleading, defamatory, and disparaging captions,” the plea states.

It adds that Kamra, Zubair and other unknown individuals have widely shared the Impugned Video, and by doing so, they have independently published further false, baseless, and malicious statements targeting ANI and its founders.

“The defamatory and disparaging statements made by Defendants No. 1 to 4 have a demonstrable adverse impact on the Plaintiff's business, goodwill, and public credibility. Following the publication of the Impugned Video, the Plaintiff has experienced significant condemnation on public platforms, accompanied by abusive and derogatory messages from viewers and online users,” the suit states.

ANI has prayed for take down of the Impugned Video and also to restrain Mangal from using, in any manner, the registered ANI trademarks.

The suit further seeks to restrain Mangal from making or publishing or circulating allegedly false, misleading, defamatory, and disparaging content against ANI.

It further seeks to restrain Kamra, Zubair and john does from publishing allegedly false, defamatory, and disparaging content against ANI.

Title: ANI MEDIA PVT. LTD v. MOHAK MANGALAND ORS