Jammu Court Grants Interim Relief To JioStar India, Restrains Unauthorised Cable Transmission

Principal District Judge R.N. Watal, Jammu on 24 February protected the broadcast reproduction rights of JioStar India Private Limited by issuing an ad interim injunction against several regional cable networks.

The judge directed that, until the next date of hearing, the defendants shall refrain from “retransmitting, rebroadcasting, disseminating, exhibiting and/or communicating” its content, including popular television shows and exclusive sporting events notified as being of national importance.

The dispute arose in the context of Take One JK Media Pvt. Ltd (Defendant No. 1), whose subscription agreement was allegedly “lawfully disconnected with effect from 1st December 2025” on account of “persistent non payment of outstanding subscription fees”.

JioStar alleged that despite the deactivation and multiple cease and desist notices, the defendants continued to broadcast its channels without authorisation by downlinking them through DD Free Dish. Further, the defendants timed these unauthorised broadcasts to exploit high value, time sensitive events, including the ongoing TATA WPL and the New Zealand Tour of India 2026.

Emphasising the urgency of the matter, JioStar submitted that live sporting events run within a narrow, non repeatable broadcast window. Once the events conclude, it permanently loses the exclusive opportunity to monetise them, and no damages can adequately compensate for the resulting financial and reputational harm.

Since JioStar did not know the identities of all the involved local cable operators, it impleaded “John Doe”(fictitious) defendants to ensure the injunction covered unidentified parties participating in the alleged infringement.

JioStar also asserted that it holds exclusive rights to broadcast and distribute its channels in India and had paid substantial consideration to secure exclusive worldwide television broadcast rights for cricket events conducted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

It relied on Rule 6(3) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, and argued that the law permits retransmission only under a written agreement with the broadcaster. It also contended that any unauthorised transmission is ex facie illegal and violates the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Cable Television Networks Act, 1995.

After hearing the case, Principal District Judge Watal granted ad interim relief, discharged the caveat filed by the primary defendant, and listed the matter for written statement and objections on 12 March 2026.

The Court restrained the defendants from communicating JioStar's content through any unauthorised channel or medium until then.