Delhi HC cracks down on Pak linked rogue apps streaming IPL, grants injunction to JioStar

The Delhi High Court has granted sweeping interim relief to JioStar India Private Limited, issuing a dynamic injunction to curb the rapid proliferation of rogue websites and applications, some allegedly linked to Pakistan, illegally streaming live sporting events, including the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

A bench led by Justice Jyoti Singh passed the order against several rogue platforms such as Abasi TV, CricfyTV, and CrickPK, which were flagged for unauthorized streaming of premium sports content.

In a separate matter heard on Wednesday, Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, granted dynamic injunction to JioStar India against platforms including Daddylives.nl and a network of mirror and proxy websites.

Pakistan linked piracy networks under scrutiny

The case has brought into focus a growing ecosystem of rogue apps and websites, some with links to Pakistan, that have been targeting Indian audiences with free, illegal streams of high value sporting events.

The court acknowledged the scale and evolving nature of digital piracy, particularly during live sports broadcasts, where illegal streaming spikes in real time. Siddharth Chopra, counsel for JioStar presented empirical data demonstrating how piracy networks expand rapidly once marquee tournaments begin.

IPL piracy surge underscores scale

Citing data from the previous IPL season, the company informed the court that while a baseline set of infringing websites is typically identified at the time of filing, hundreds more surface during the tournament. As many as 458 rogue websites were detected over the course of the event, requiring the filing of 49 additional affidavits to formally place them on record.

A similar trend was observed in other sporting events, where 128 newly identified infringing websites had to be documented through 19 additional affidavits during the course of a single tournament. These patterns, the company argued, highlight the inadequacy of static injunctions in tackling a highly adaptive piracy ecosystem.

Taking note of these submissions and prior judicial precedents, the court granted a dynamic injunction in favour of JioStar. This mechanism allows the company to notify authorities and intermediaries to block access to newly identified rogue websites in real time, provided they are mirror or redirect versions of domains already covered under the injunction. 

The proceedings also examined the role of key government bodies such as the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in enforcing blocking orders. While earlier rulings had directed these authorities to issue notifications facilitating enforcement, the court noted that certain procedural aspects had not been fully implemented in past cases.

It indicated that such directions could be revisited or strengthened to ensure more effective and timely compliance. The order comes at a time when broadcasters are intensifying their legal and technological efforts to combat piracy, particularly during high profile cricket tournaments that draw massive digital audiences.

With rogue apps, some allegedly operating from across the border, becoming more sophisticated and evasive, the court’s endorsement of a dynamic enforcement framework is expected to bolster industry wide anti piracy measures.