MUMBAI: Streaming pirates just hit a legal firewall. The Delhi High Court has barred 35 rogue websites from illegally streaming films, TV shows and web series owned by JioStar India Pvt. Ltd., handing the broadcaster a decisive win in its fight against online piracy.
The order, delivered by Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, came in response to JioStar’s plea alleging widespread copyright infringement of its premium content. Among the pirated titles were blockbusters like 12th Fail, Drishyam 2, Salaar Part 1: Ceasefire, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Brahmastra Part One: Shiva, alongside hit shows such as Anupamaa, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Bigg Boss, and Legends of Hanuman.
Citing provisions of the Copyright Act, 1957, the Court ruled that the defendants were prima facie infringing JioStar’s exclusive rights under Section 14(d). It granted an ex parte ad-interim injunction, noting that the “balance of convenience” favoured the plaintiff and unchecked piracy risked causing “irreparable harm.”
The banned sites include familiar piracy hubs such as serialmaza.my, 5movierulz.cash, vegamovies-nl.quest, tamildhool.net, sungohd.com, biggbossott3.com and hdhub4u.fail.
The Court went further, granting JioStar a dynamic injunction, a powerful tool that allows the company to block not only the current domains but also mirror sites, alphanumeric variants, and redirect links that pop up to dodge takedowns. The Registrar has been empowered to swiftly add such sites once evidence is presented.
Key directions include:
● Domain registrars to suspend and deactivate domains, while sharing registrant details such as IP addresses, payment records, and contact info within four weeks.
● ISPs to block access to the listed websites within 48 hours.
● DoT and Meity to ensure ISP compliance via official communications.
The order leaned on precedent set in the UTV Software Communication Ltd. v. 1337x.to (2019) case, where rogue website criteria from brazen infringement to silence on takedown notices were codified.
The ruling comes as JioHotstar, one of India’s largest OTT platforms with 100,000 plus hours of programming, faces relentless piracy threats. Industry watchers say piracy not only drains revenues but discourages investment in original content, making such judicial backing critical.
Summons have been issued to the defendants, who must file written statements within 30 days. Replications, if any, follow in another 30 days. The matter returns to court for pleadings on September 18, 2025, and for further hearing on January 20, 2026.
For now, at least, the pirates have been benched but the game of digital whack-a-mole is far from over.
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