Delhi HC blocks websites using FanCode's content, citing broadcast rights

• Court ordered to block 26 rogue cricket broadcasting and streaming websites and mobile applications.
• The decision came from Justice Prathiba M. Singh.
• A suit was filed by Plaintiff Sporta Technologies seeking the injunction.

The Delhi High Court has ordered to block as many as 26 rogue websites and mobile applications broadcasting and streaming cricketing events by infringing the rights of 'FanCode', a sports streaming platform owned by Sporta Technologies Pvt Ltd.
In the recent hearing, Justice Prathiba M. Singh was dealing with the Plaintiff Sporta Technologies' suit seeking a permanent injunction restraining infringement of broadcast reproduction rights, damages, rendition of accounts, and profits.
As per the plaintiff, the 'FanCode' platform also streams a large number of events for which exclusive broadcasting rights have been acquired by them by entering into agreements with various third parties.
Plaintiff has been able to garner evidence during the recent Bangladesh tour of West Indies, Netherlands tour of England, and England tour of West Indies to show how all of the defendants' web portals and mobile applications are illegally broadcasting and violating its broadcast reproduction rights, the suit stated.
In a majority of these websites, the Plaintiff is unable to even obtain information as to who are the registrants of these websites as the said information is privacy protected, the plaintiff argued.
Moreover, these websites are able to move the streaming of infringing content in a very short period to a mirror website even if the main website and URL is blocked. Thus, it is prayed that a dynamic injunction be granted restraining any further websites from coming up which are mirror websites of the rogue websites so that they can also be blocked, the plaintiff's counsel submitted.
The plaintiff also submitted various screenshots to establish how in various cricket tours, including the ongoing Bangladesh and West Indies series, the websites and mobile applications are indulging in the illegal broadcast.
"The said websites shall stand blocked with immediate effect, upon notice being issued by the Plaintiffs to the DoT (The Department of Telecommunications) and ISPs (internet service provider) that such an affidavit has already been filed before this Court," said the order.
"Upon DoT receiving the notices and communications from the Plaintiffs that the affidavits have been filed before the Court, the orders for blocking such further rogue websites shall be passed, immediately and in any case, within 24 hours, so that the websites do not continue to stream infringing content in any manner whatsoever," the order read.

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