ANI's Suit Against YouTuber Mohak Mangal Transferred to Delhi High Court

ANI's Suit Against YouTuber Mohak Mangal Transferred to Delhi High Court

Introduction

The Delhi High Court has transferred to itself a copyright and trademark infringement suit filed by news agency ANI against YouTuber Mohak Mangal, which was earlier pending before a district court.

Factual Background

ANI had initiated two separate proceedings against Mangal. In one suit, ANI accused Mangal of disparagement and defamation over his remarks about the news agency's copyright strikes on YouTube. In the other suit, ANI alleged unauthorized reproduction of its videos by Mangal on his channel, claiming copyright infringement, piracy, plagiarism, and unjust enrichment.

Procedural Background

Mangal filed a transfer plea before the Delhi High Court, seeking to transfer the copyright and trademark infringement suit from the district court to the High Court. ANI opposed the transfer, arguing that the two suits were different.

Issues

The primary issue was whether the copyright and trademark infringement suit pending before the district court should be transferred to the High Court.

Contentions of the Parties

Appellant's Contentions:

• Mangal's counsel, Senior Advocate Diya Kapur, argued that both suits were largely identical and would raise the same issues of law and fact.
• Kapur submitted that there could be conflicting decisions if the suits were heard by different courts.

Respondent's Contentions:

• ANI's counsel, Advocate Sidhant Kumar, opposed the transfer, arguing that the two suits were different.

Reasoning & Analysis

The bench of Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora agreed with Kapur's submissions, holding that the issues in both suits were identical and would require the same questions of law and fact to be decided. The Court observed that transferring the suit to the High Court would help avoid conflicting decisions.

Implications

This decision indicates the importance of avoiding conflicting decisions in multiple suits between the same parties. Moreover, by transferring the suit to the High Court, the Court aims to ensure consistency and efficiency in the adjudication of the disputes.

Outcome

The High Court allowed Mangal's transfer plea and transferred the copyright and trademark infringement suit to itself. A detailed order will be uploaded later.

In this case the appellant was represented by Ms. Diya Kapur, Senior Advocate along with Mr. Nakul Gandhi, Mr. Mujeeb and Mr. Tanish Gupta, Advocates. Meanwhile the respondent was represented by Mr. Sidhant Kumar, Advocate.