India: High Court restrains websites, ISPs from uploading pirated copy of new film

Chennai, Dec 22 The Madras High Court today restrained 37 websites and internet service providers from uploading pirated copy of Tamil film 'Balloon', set to release on December 29.

Justice M Sundar allowed the interim prayer related to a civil suit filed by the film's producers '70 MM Entertainment' and adjourned the matter.

The plaintiff had sought to restrain the defendants and any other person or entity from infringing its cinematographic right of the plaintiff over the film by copying unauthorisedly and uploading the same in their websites/webpages and to block them.

The judge directed the ISPs, including BSNL, MTNL and Airtel, to block from infringing the cinematographic right of the producers over the film by copying unauthorisedly and uploading the same on their websites/webpages and block them.

The film, starring Ajai, Anjali and Janani Iyer, is directed by Sineesh.

The plaintiff, represented by K Nandakumar, a partner in the firm, submitted that the defendant websites have the potential to indulge in piracy by uploading or enabling third parties to distribute through cable or online medium the film through the ISPs.

The defendants had not entered into any license agreement with the plaintiff for communicating the movie and thus, it amounts to infringement of its copyright under the relevant section of the Copyright Act, 1957, he contended.