Delhi HC Injuncts Unauthorised Broadcast Of India-Australia International Cricket 2020 Series By Websites On Sony Pictures's Plea

The court also issued summons and notice on the suit after hearing Sony.

Single Judge Bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdher has held that the named defendant websites are "restrained from broadcasting, telecasting to subscribers or otherwise through any means whatsoever the footage concerning the Matches, their clips, audios and videos whether wholly or in part including live-score updates, play-by-play and/or textual commentary via their websites, applications and/or any other digital platforms such as mobile, internet and radio delivery."

Internet Service Providers and Telecom Service Providers were also added as parties in the suit by Sony to ensure enforcement of injunction orders passed.

The court has therefore also directed the ISPs to block and/or suspend the websites of the defendants in case they are found to be indulging in unauthorized broadcast/ transmission, in any manner, the matches which are a part of the Series.

Scheduled to be held between November 27, 2020 and January 19, 2021, the series being held in Australia will have the teams playing 4 Test matches, 3 One Day International Matches, and 3 T20 International Matches.

Sony Pictures operates through various channels collectively referred to as Sony Ten Network Channels which inter alia, include Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 1 HD, Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 3, Sony Ten 2 HD, Sony Ten 3 HD, Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD.

Sony Pictures claimed that it has exclusive license to broadcast and transmit the said Series qua the following countries: India Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Burma and Nepal, and non-exclusive broadcasting license for Afghanistan.

Sony therefore sought interim directions against not just specific websites named in its suit but also Multi System Operators (MSOs) and the Local Cable Operators (LCOs).