Delhi HC orders takedown of copyrighted content on rogue websites

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has mandated the removal of copyrighted material from three alleged cyberlocker websites, identified as significant violators of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) owned by leading entertainment corporations, including Netflix, Amazon, and Universal City Studios.

The directive was issued by Justice Anish Dayal, targeting the websites' operations and compelling them to eliminate functionalities that permit the re-upload of copyrighted content post-removal.

This order comes as a response to a copyright infringement lawsuit initiated by a consortium of entertainment giants - Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Amazon Content Services LLC, Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Disney Enterprises Inc., Netflix US, LLC, Paramount Pictures Corporation, Universal City Studios Productions LLP, and Apple Video Programming LLC.

The defendants in the case are the websites Doodstream.com, doodstream.co, and dood.stream, along with their operators based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

The plaintiffs have pursued a permanent injunction to prevent these websites and their operators from distributing or making available any cinematographic works or content over which the plaintiffs hold copyright.

According to the complaint, these cyberlocker websites were accused of creating an ecosystem deliberately designed to encourage the unauthorised hosting, streaming, downloading, and uploading of copyrighted content.

The court noted that the accused websites facilitated users in uploading copyrighted material by enabling them to sign in and manage a personal dashboard for content upload.

However, the defence counsel assured the court of their willingness to undertake a comprehensive removal of all copyrighted material infringing upon the plaintiffs' rights.

Furthermore, the court has asked the defendants to disclose their revenue figures from the inception of their websites to the present.

They are also required to report on the number of takedown requests received, detailing the nature of the content involved and whether it was subsequently available on their platforms.

In a move to ensure compliance, the court has allowed the plaintiff entertainment companies to oversee the removal of their copyrighted materials, ensuring their rights are protected and infringing listings are effectively monitored and addressed.