Delhi HC grants Zee dynamic injunction against FIFA World Cup 2026 piracy

The Delhi High Court has granted a sweeping interim injunction in favour of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), directing internet service providers, domain name registrars and government authorities to block access to websites allegedly engaged in unauthorized streaming of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Justice Saurabh Banerjee, in an order dated June 3, restrained a group of identified "rogue websites" from hosting, communicating, streaming or making available any FIFA World Cup 2026 content without authorization, while also empowering Zee to seek real-time blocking of future infringing websites and associated mobile applications.

The ruling comes just days before the commencement of the FIFA World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held between June 11 and July 19, for which Zee has secured exclusive broadcasting and digital transmission rights in India. The company informed the court that it had acquired exclusive media rights covering cable, satellite, IPTV, broadband and mobile transmission platforms through a rights confirmation agreement dated June 1.

Court Recognises Zee's Exclusive Rights

According to the court record, Zee argued that under Section 37 of the Copyright Act, it enjoys exclusive rights to broadcast, retransmit and stream FIFA World Cup content and is entitled to protection against copyright infringement.

The broadcaster submitted that investigations conducted in late May revealed that several websites allegedly involved in illegally streaming IPL 2026 matches had also announced plans to provide access to FIFA World Cup content without authorization.

Among the websites identified in the suit are Soccerbox, Soccerworldcup, DLHD, Strumyk and Sportsbay. Zee alleged that these platforms operate anonymously, conceal their identities and routinely infringe intellectual property rights through unauthorized sports broadcasts.

Dynamic and 'Superlative' Injunction

In a significant development for sports rights enforcement in India, the court granted what is effectively a dynamic injunction, allowing Zee to notify internet service providers and domain name registrars of newly discovered mirror, redirect or alphanumeric variants of infringing websites for immediate blocking without requiring separate court proceedings each time.

The court also extended protection to rogue mobile applications that may emerge during the tournament, noting that infringing operators increasingly use apps and rapidly changing domains to evade enforcement mechanisms.

Justice Banerjee observed that illegal operators exploit technology to conceal their identities and circumvent judicial blocking orders by creating mirror and redirect websites. The court said that unless real-time blocking measures are available, rights holders risk suffering irreparable harm before legal remedies can be secured.

ISPs, Registrars and Government Directed to Act

As part of the interim relief, the court directed domain name registrars to suspend and lock the registrations of the identified websites and disclose registrant details, including names, email addresses and IP addresses.

Internet service providers have been ordered to block access to the websites and any future infringing domains or mobile application interfaces identified by Zee during the tournament period.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) have also been directed to ensure compliance with the blocking orders.

Growing Focus on Sports Piracy

The order underscores the increasing judicial focus on combating digital piracy in sports broadcasting, particularly for high-value live sporting events where unauthorized streams can significantly erode subscription and advertising revenues.

The court held that Zee had established a prima facie case, with the balance of convenience favouring the broadcaster, and concluded that failure to grant immediate relief could result in irreparable injury to its rights.

The matter has been listed for further proceedings before the roster bench on October 6, while summons have been issued to the defendants.