Delhi High Court Flags Misuse Of Meta's Copyright Strike System, Calls It 'Platform For Extortion By Bad Actors'

The Delhi High Court has recorded Meta Platforms' assurance that it will ensure user accounts are not blocked due to fraudulent copyright strikes, while observing that the platform's current enforcement mechanism has become a tool for "blackmail" and "extortion." Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani made the observations while hearing two separate suits filed by content creators Mohammed Nawaz Shaikh and Prateek Sahni. The matters reached the Court after the plaintiffs' accounts or videos were taken...

Delhi High Court Orders Meta To Share User Details, IP Logs In Suit Over Fake Copyright Strikes

The Delhi High Court has directed Meta Platforms Inc. to furnish subscriber information and IP logs relating to people alleged to have misused its copyright reporting system to extort digital content creator Mohammed Nawaz Shaikh.Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani passed the order in a suit filed by Shaikh against unidentified persons. The plaintiff alleged that one of them operated through fabricated identities.Shaikh filed the suit seeking a permanent and mandatory injunction to restrain...

Delhi High Court Seeks Centre, Meta's Reply On PIL Alleging Misuse Of Instagram Copyright Strike Mechanism

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Union of India, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Meta Platforms Inc. and the Government of NCT of Delhi in a public interest litigation alleging that Instagram's automated copyright-strike mechanism is being exploited by organised cyber criminals to extort digital content creators.A Division Bench of Justice V. Kameswar Rao and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora sought responses from the respondents on the plea filed by content creator Nitin...

Delhi High Court Grants HBO Temporary Injunction Against 30 Rogue Websites In Copyright Suit

The Delhi High Court has recently granted an ad-interim injunction in favour of Home Box Office Inc. (HBO) against 30 rogue websites allegedly streaming its copyrighted films and shows without authorisation.The court has also directed internet service providers (ISPs) and domain name registrars (DNRs) to technically verify whether any newly identified website is a mirror, redirect or alphanumeric version of the injuncted websites and, if so, enforce the injunction against it as a pro-tem...

Madras High Court Grants Relief To Zee Against Apprehended Copyright Infringement Of 'Bhootam Bhayam' Film

The Madras High Court has temporarily restrained internet service providers and cable TV operators from infringing Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited's copyright in its Marathi film Bhootam Bhayam, which was released on July 24The court observed that "irreversible injury" could occur unless apprehended unlawful broadcasts were prevented.Justice K. Kumaresh Babu passed the order on two applications filed by Zee Entertainment in a suit alleging apprehended infringement of its copyright in the...

Requiring AI Companies To Obtain Multiple Licences For LLM Training Would Be Economically Unviable: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has observed that requiring artificial intelligence (AI) companies to obtain licences from multiple sources to train Large Language Models (LLMs) would make their development economically unviable, while refusing to grant an interim injunction sought by ANI Media against OpenAI in its copyright infringement suit over ChatGPT. "The key to success of an AI model is to access the information in public domain. The development of LLMs and their success depends on availability of...

Delhi High Court Restrains Copyright Holders From Issuing Groundless Infringement Threats Against TVS

The Delhi High Court on Thursday restrained the holders of two copyright registrations from issuing any further groundless threats of copyright infringement proceedings against TVS Motor Company over allegations that its engines, two-wheelers and three-wheelers used features covered by their registered literary works. Justice Jyoti Singh passed the ad interim order in a suit filed by TVS seeking, among other reliefs, a declaration that a cease-and-desist notice issued by Ram Chandra Maurya and...

OpenAI's Use Of ANI Content To Train ChatGPT Is Not Prima Facie Copyright Infringement: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed Asian News International's (ANI) plea for an interim injunction against OpenAI in its suit alleging copyright infringement over the alleged use of ANI's content to train ChatGPT. Justice Amit Bansal held that "ANI has failed to make out a prima facie case for grant of interim injunction." Ruling on four issues framed in the suit, with findings on the first and third issues delivered together, the Court upheld its territorial jurisdiction to hear the case...

'Piracy Must Be Dealt With A Heavy Hand': Delhi High Court Grants Sony Relief Against 14 Rogue Websites

The Delhi High Court has observed that rogue websites engaged in piracy of copyrighted content pose a recurring threat and must be dealt with "a heavy hand." It has granted an ex parte ad interim injunction restraining 14 websites, including Cricgo.pro, from communicating, hosting, streaming or otherwise making available without authorisation any part of the Commonwealth Games 2026 and the Australian Open 2027, over which Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited holds exclusive broadcast and...

Delhi High Court Directs Meta To Remove Zee's Copyrighted Content From 14 Facebook Pages

The Delhi High Court has recently directed Meta Platforms Inc. to take down infringing content uploaded by operators of 14 Facebook pages carrying Zee Entertainment Enterprises' television serials and web series. The court passed the ad-interim order but declined, at this stage, to direct blocking of the Facebook accounts themselves.Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani passed the order in a suit filed by Zee against Meta and 18 other defendants. Zee sought permanent, mandatory and dynamic injunctions...

Content Creators Move Delhi HC Alleging Misuse Of Facebook 'Edit Post' Tool To Trigger False Copyright Strikes

Two content creators have approached the Delhi High Court alleging that Meta's copyright enforcement system is being exploited by bad actors who manipulate Facebook's "Edit Post" feature to make stolen videos appear older. They claim the allegedly backdated posts are then used to file false copyright complaints against the original creators, resulting in repeated takedowns of their own content.While one creator says the alleged abuse led to the permanent disabling of his verified Instagram...

Bombay High Court Declines Urgent Relief In Phantom Studios' Suit Against JioStar Over 'Queen' Remake

The Bombay High Court has declined to grant urgent ad-interim relief to Phantom Studios India Private Limited in its suit against JioStar India Private Limited over the film Queen Forever, which Phantom alleges is an unauthorised sequel to the 2014 film Queen made in breach of the parties' co-production and intellectual property arrangements.Justice Gauri Godse was hearing an interim application filed by Phantom Studios in its suit claiming 50 per cent joint ownership of intellectual property...