Delhi HC restrains ‘rogue website’, others from unauthorised display of contents from SRK’s movie ‘Jawan’

New Delhi [India], April 28 (ANI): The Delhi High Court has restrained a ‘rogue website’ and internet service providers from unauthorised copying, recording, reproducing, allowing recording, transmitting, communicating or making available for distribution, duplication, display or release, exhibiting or playing the content of Shah Rukh Khan’s movie ‘Jawan’.

The High Court passed the interim order on the plea of Red Chillies Entertainment Private Limited, the producer of the movie. This movie is scheduled to hit the theatres on June 2. The petitioner has sought an order restraining the defendant from displaying the content of the movie in any form.

Justice C Hari Shankar issued the direction to the rogue website and other defendants restraining them from infringing the copyright of the petitioner.

“The defendants, as well as all others acting on their behalf, are restrained from copying, recording, reproducing, allowing recording, transmitting, communicating or making available for distribution, duplication, display or release, exhibiting or playing in any manner, any stills, audio/video clips, songs, recordings or other proprietary information relating to the cinematographic film ‘Jawan’ or any part thereof without a proper licence from the Plaintiff, through any medium whatsoever,” the bench ordered on April 25.

The order was, however, uploaded on Thursday.

The plaintiff has sought a restraint against various rogue websites, as well as various internet service providers (ISPs) and others who are providing platforms over which content can be uploaded on the internet, from broadcasting or airing any part of the film Jawan. The plaintiff said that it is the producer of the movie and therefore has a copyright over it.

It was alleged that clips and stills from the film are already available on the internet over various platforms, though no licence to broadcast or transmit any part of the film has, to date, been granted by the plaintiff to any entity.

The bench issued summons to Twitter, YouTube, Google and Reddit and directed them to immediately block and, thereafter, take down all infringing content as mentioned by the plaintiff.

“Defendants 6 to 40 (Internet Service Providers) and all others acting on their behalf are directed to block access to the websites/webpages mentioned in Schedule B to the plaint, as well as any mirror/alphanumeric/redirect website thereof,” the court said in the order.

The court has listed the matter on July 7 and said that this order shall remain in force till the next date of hearing.

Senior Advocate Raj Shekhar Rao, Counsel for the plaintiff, submitted that the plaintiff is the producer of the film and, therefore, the copyright holder of its contents, and that the plaintiff has not licensed the transmission or distribution or broadcasting of the film to any other entity till date, the plaintiff is entitled to injunctive relief.