Bengaluru Court Orders Instagram To Restore Account Suspended Over IPL-Related Posts

A Bengaluru civil court has directed the restoration of an Instagram account suspended over posts alleged to have infringed trademark rights relating to the IPL.

It held that the continued suspension was wholly disproportionate to the nature of the alleged violation.

“Though the expressions used by the plaintiff may not have been appropriate, the intention behind the postings has also to be taken into consideration. Merely on the basis of the words employed, it cannot be concluded that the plaintiff intended to infringe the trademark rights of IPL or any other authority,” observed VIII Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge Vani A. Shetty.

The order came on a suit filed by QEscapades Pvt. Ltd., which had been operating and maintaining the Instagram account @qexperiences. According to the company, the account was used to promote its resort business and events. It was also used for customer engagement and marketing.

QEscapades posted IPL-related content in April 2026. The posts included “enjoy IPL live screening at your favourite q mango forest”, “catch every IPL moment live at Q Mango Forest” and “Experience IPL like never before at Q Nandi Retreat.”

The platforms issued notifications stating that some content posted by the company had been removed. A subsequent notification alleged trademark infringement. The Instagram account was then suspended on May 3, 2026.

According to the order, the platforms alleged that the posts infringed trademark rights relating to the IPL. They also alleged that the posts promoted live streaming of IPL matches at the resort.

QEscapades contended that the promotional content was uploaded to inform guests and visitors that IPL matches could be viewed at its resort premises. It maintained that the matches could be viewed through authorised television and broadcasting services available there.

The company also maintained that it had not posted, transmitted, re-transmitted, rebroadcast, uploaded, distributed or facilitated any unauthorised live streaming of IPL matches.

According to the order, QEscapades submitted appeals and a representation through the platforms' grievance redressal mechanism on May 9, 2026. It clarified that if the posts were found to have infringed any legal, proprietary or intellectual property rights, this was not intentional. According to the company, any such infringement was made unknowingly and inadvertently.

It also undertook to abide by the platforms' rules and policies. The representation was not responded to, according to the order.

Instagram and Meta India did not appear before the court despite service of summons. The case therefore proceeded without their participation.

The court observed that the platforms had the right to suspend an Instagram account if the account holder violated their terms and policies. They could also do so if the account holder infringed the rights of another person.

It noted, however, that the words used in the posts were not entirely clear. On certain occasions, they could give rise to an allegation of trademark infringement.

On considering the posts, the court observed that their intention was to promote the resort business. The posts were meant to inform prospective customers that they could watch IPL matches at the resort.

“Apart from the wording employed in the said posts, nothing therein indicates that the plaintiff intended to infringe the trademark rights of IPL or of any other authority or to violate any applicable rules,” the court observed.

The court also noted that it could not record a specific finding that the posts clearly infringed an intellectual property right. It observed that the intention behind the posts also had to be taken into consideration.

Even assuming there had been some violation, the court ruled that the continued suspension of the account was “wholly disproportionate to the nature of the alleged violation”.

It particularly noted that the company had undertaken that such conduct would not be repeated.

The court did not declare the suspension illegal. It nevertheless directed that the account be restored and reactivated.

Instagram and Meta India have been directed to restore the @qexperiences account. This includes all associated content, followers, messages and business data.

The company must not post or upload content in violation of the platforms' terms, conditions, policies or guidelines.