Delhi High Court Grants Superlative Injunction For 'Real-Time Blocking' Of Websites, Apps Unauthorisedly Streaming IPL, Other Cricket Matches

Justice Saurabh Banerjee restrained the defendants from infringing Star India's exclusive streaming rights and ordered real-time relief against rogue websites and rogue mobile applications which may be discovered during the course.

The bench took note of Star India Pvt. Ltd. & Anr. v. Jiolive.Tv and Ors. (2023) wherein the Court had emphasised the necessity of blocking rogue websites on a real-time basis in connection with sporting events. It observed,

“In the new age of technology, today it has become increasingly easy and convenient for infringers to create alpha-numeric/ mirror/ redirect variants of infringing websites, and by the time impleadment and extension of relief(s) can take place, certain time-sensitive infringing activities like live streaming of sporting events have already commenced illegally and by the time the effected party like the plaintiff approaches this Court, it is too late…Under such circumstances, this Court has repeatedly held that real-time relief is warranted in order to not let the rights of plaintiff(s) like the plaintiff herein be rendered otiose in the virtual world.”

Significant to note that this is the first time that the Court has also granted relief against rogue mobile apps.

In Star India Private Limited v. https//crichdplayer.org & Ors. (2025), a real-time injunction was granted qua IPL 2025 but, with respect to rogue websites and not rogue mobile applications.

In the present case however, the Court observed,

“there is neither any impediment nor any harm caused to any of the effected parties if the same relief as granted in cases of rogue websites are also granted/ benefit(s) thereof are also extended to rogue mobile applications and their associated domains/ URLs/ UIs which are also predominantly and flagrantly violating the intellectual property rights of the plaintiff as well. At the end of the day, this Court is dealing with the intellectual property rights of the copyright owner, the plaintiff herein, and the mode of use/ dissemination activity is/ can hardly be of any concern.”

The development comes in a suit filed by Star India, initially against 4 defendants and other unknown defendants (rogue websites) alleging infringement of copyright and broadcast reproduction rights.

Later, the company filed as many as seven impleadment applications for bringing on record three new mobile applications (rogue mobile applications) and 16 new rogue domains/ URLs/ UIs engaged in illegally broadcasting its content.

Ultimately, the company sought real-time blocking of rogue websites and mobile applications, particularly in view of the ongoing Court vacation. It argued that the procedural limitation of approaching the Court repeatedly on discovery of new websites and rogue mobile applications poses harm to the company, especially in view of the imminent and high-value sporting events.

Recognising that infringing alpha-numeric, mirror, and redirect domains as well as rogue mobile applications often emerge in real-time, particularly during time-sensitive events, the Court permitted real-time blocking and takedown relief irrespective of the mode of dissemination, covering both websites and mobile apps.

It observed, “Superlative injunction opens up an additional route for the plaintiffs to avail the grant of real-time reliefs against the infringing activities of 'rogue' defendants, irrespective of the mode(s thereof.”

Appearance: Mr. Sidharth Chopra, Mr. Yatinder Garg, Ms. Disha Sharma and Ms. Rimjhim Tiwari and Ms. Isha Singh, Advs for Plaintiff; Mr. Avish Sharma, Adv. for D-1, 4 & 36. Ms. Mrinal Ojha, Mr. Debarshi Dutta, Mr. Arjun Mookerjee, Ms. Nikita Rathi and Mr. Nikhil Gupta, Advs. for D-7.

Case title: Star India Pvt Ltd v. IPTV Smarter Pro & Ors.

Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Del) 652

Case no.: CS(COMM) 108/2025

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