Delhi High Court Grants Dynamic Injunction in Favour of Star India to Combat Illegal IPL Streaming

Summary:

In a move against digital piracy, the Delhi High Court granted a dynamic injunction in favour of Star India Pvt. Ltd. against several rogue websites including https://crichdplayer.org/ that were illegally live-streaming TATA IPL 2025 matches. The Court’s strong ex-parte interim relief not only restrained the infringers but also enabled Star India to swiftly act against future mirror or redirect websites. The judgment underscores the judiciary’s evolving approach to IP protection in the digital era, particularly concerning high-stakes sports broadcasting rights.

Facts:

• The Plaintiff, along with its affiliates, was also an exclusive right owner for several works broadcasted on its channels, such as, Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Plus, etc.
• The Plaintiff had acquired exclusive television broadcasting rights with respect to the Indian Premier League (‘IPL’) matches in India for a period of five years, starting from 2023 till 2027, from the event organizer, i.e., the Board of Control for Cricket in India (‘BCCI’) vide agreement dated 27-06-2022. Further, vide another agreement, dated 27-06-2022 between Viacom 18 Media Private Limited and BCCI, exclusive media rights in India and television rights overseas in relation to the said IPL matches were acquired by BCCI, which were then transferred to the Plaintiff vide a composite arrangement.
• The said composite arrangement was then approved by the National Company Law Tribunal, Mumbai wherein media operations of Viacom 18 Media Private Limited and Digital 18 Media Limited were transferred to the Plaintiff, including the right to use the IPL logos and other associated marks.
• The cause of action first arose when Defendants 1-5, being “rogue websites” unlawfully streamed sporting events in which the Plaintiff had exclusive rights without authorization from the Plaintiff or the owner of rights of the said sporting events, such as the recently concluded Women’s Premier League, 2025. Defendants 6 to 10 being Domain Name Registrars (‘DNRs’) with respect to the said “rogue websites” have provided platform access to them and were also responsible for withholding and retaining information qua their creators, such as names, addresses, and the like.

Issues:

1. Whether the defendants’ unauthorized streaming and broadcasting of cricket matches, for which the Plaintiff holds exclusive rights, constitutes copyright infringement under the Copyright Act, 1957.
2. Whether the act of linking or embedding live match feeds through rogue websites amounts to a violation of the Plaintiff’s exclusive broadcasting and communication rights.

Plaintiff’s Arguments

• Star India claimed exclusive global media rights (2023–2027) for the Indian Premier League (IPL), including broadcast and digital streaming.
• The matches were being illegally live-streamed by rogue websites like https://crichdplayer.org/, causing significant financial and reputational harm.
• These websites were operated by anonymous entities, hosted pirated content, and quickly shifted domains to evade enforcement.
• Star India emphasized that such infringements violated their broadcast reproduction rights under Section 37 and “communication to the public” under Section 2(ff) of the Copyright Act, 1957.
• The Plaintiff sought a dynamic injunction, allowing real-time blocking of new URLs/domain variants through court-monitored mechanisms.

Defendant’s Arguments:

• The Defendants (rogue websites) did not appear before the Court.
• The matter was heard ex-parte due to the anonymous and evasive nature of the infringers.

Analysis

The Court emphasized that the rights of intellectual property holders like the Plaintiff must remain effective and enforceable in an era of rapidly advancing technology, both online and offline. It observed that due to the global freedom enjoyed by developers, such right holders are increasingly vulnerable to exploitation by “rogue websites.” Without structured protection mechanisms, these rights risk being blatantly violated by entities with no legal claim over the content, leading to irreparable loss and damage. The Court noted that the Plaintiff’s rights were being systematically and intentionally infringed by restraining the Defendants and any associated parties from unauthorized streaming, hosting, or communication of the TATA IPL 2025 matches. Rogue websites that continuously stream and advertise copyrighted content, using techniques like URL redirection and identity masking to evade detection. The defendants’ silence in response to notices further highlighted their “hydra-headed” nature, as such websites quickly re-emerge under new domains even after being blocked. Hence, the Court granted an ex-parte ad interim injunction,

Conclusion:

Given the ongoing and likely future infringements during the TATA IPL 2025, the Court found a prima facie case in favour of the Plaintiff and held that without immediate relief, the Plaintiff would suffer irreversible harm not compensable in monetary terms. Accordingly, the Court granted an ex parte ad interim injunction, restraining Defendants 1 to 5 and any associated parties from unauthorized streaming, hosting, or communication of the TATA IPL 2025 matches. ISPs, DoT, and MeitY were directed to block access to the listed websites. Additionally, a ‘dynamic+’ injunction was granted, enabling the Plaintiff to report any new infringing websites in real-time to Domain Registrars or ISPs (Defendants 11–19) for prompt blocking during the tournament.

The judgment of Star India Pvt. Ltd. vs. https://crichdplayer.org/ & Ors. illustrates the greater effort undertaken by the Delhi high court to counter online piracy and the illegitimate copying and broadcasting of protected works. In case of real-time copyright infringement, especially during invaluable live broadcasts, such as IPL, the Court granted a dynamic injunction which resolved the issue. Dynamic injunctions answer the problem posed by infringing websites that resurface under mirror or alternate domains within a short period. The Court’s innovative decision is meant to aid Star India in disabling future rogue sites without repeated court sessions, therefore guaranteeing enforcement that is adaptive and responsive