Karnataka High Court Refuses Plea Seeking $2.5 Million From eBay Over Alleged Copyright Infringement

The Karnataka High Court has recently declined to entertain a writ petition by retired Army officer Lt. Col. D.K. Havanoor seeking USD 2.5 million in damages from eBay entities over alleged copyright infringement.

Justice M.G.S. Kamal passed the order on August 3, 2026, while giving Havanoor liberty to pursue his grievance before a competent court.

Havanoor's grievance concerned a book that he claimed belonged to him and which, according to the order, was displayed and sold through eBay.com for USD 12.53.

He had issued a legal notice through his counsel on June 2, 2014, seeking USD 2.5 million in damages for the alleged infringement of his intellectual property rights. He also claimed to have filed complaints before the Halasuru Police Station in Bengaluru, one of which was registered as Crime No. 366 of 2013.

The petition sought payment of the damages from eBay's India entities, eBay Inc. and three individuals associated with the companies. The Union of India and the Registrar of Companies were also made parties to the proceedings.

Counsel for the Union government and the Registrar of Companies submitted that the two authorities had no role in the cause of action and had been wrongly joined to the proceedings.

The court recorded that they had “no role of any nature whatsoever in the cause of action” and had been “misjoined as parties to the petition.”

The court held that the writ petition seeking payment of the claimed damages from the private parties could not be entertained.

“Writ petition seeking direction to respondent Nos. 3 to 9, who are the private parties to pay said damages of 2,500,000 (2.5 million US dollars) cannot be entertained.”, the court noted

The petition was accordingly disposed of, with liberty to Havanoor to seek redress before a competent court of law, if so advised.