Delhi High Court Directs Internet Service Providers To Block Websites Engaged In Illegal Streaming Of Films, TV Series

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have been directed by the Delhi High Court to block access to websites which allegedly indulge in illegal streaming of films and television series.

In an interim order, the court has directed that universal resource locators (URLs) as well as websites like Tamilrockers, EZTV, Katmovies and Limetorrents which allegedly indulge in unauthorized streaming of movies and TV series, must be blocked.

Directions have been also issued to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Ministry of Information Technology to suspend the domain name registrations of such websites which infringe the copyright of production houses.

DoT and the Ministry have also been directed to issue requisite notifications asking internet and telecom service providers to block such websites.

The court issued these interim directions after hearing the petition by US-based entertainment company Warner Bros which contended that these sites allegedly host, stream as well as make its original content belonging to it as well as other companies like UTV, Star, Paramount, Universal and Netflix, available to the public, without any authorization.

Further, the court has also restrained these websites from hosting, streaming, reproducing, distributing, making available to the public or communicating to the public, or facilitating the same, in any manner, on their websites, or through the internet any kind of cinematograph work, content, program or show which may infringe any copyright.

The court heard the plea by Warner Bros and stated that a prima facie case was made out that if an interim order was not passed, irreparable harm or injury would be caused to the company.