The Madras High Court has restrained 12037 websites from illegally broadcasting FIFA World Cup 2022 being hosted in Qatar.

While granting an interim injunction in favor of plaintiff-Viacom 18 Media Private Limited, the bench of Justice M Sundar observed thus, "With regard to prima facie case, there is no difficulty in accepting prima facie that the plaintiff is the owner of the Copyright in the Sporting Event. In terms of balance of convenience, if this interim order is not granted now, it would result in alleged piracy being completed in all and every aspect of the matter."

Advocates A.M. Venkatakrishnan and T.Pandian appeared for the plaintiff.

The plaintiff had claimed that it was granted licence by Federation Internationale De Football Association (FIFA) qua FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

It was the submission of the plaintiff that several cable and internet service providers are involved in illegal activities and in unauthorised retransmitting, recording, streaming, audio-visual clips and full sports event that are transmitted by the plaintiff.

The Court observed that there was no difficulty in accepting prima facie that the plaintiff is the owner of the Copyright in the Sporting Event.

Thus the Court granted interim injunction to the plaintiff.

The Court held that "…there shall be an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents herein or any other person or entity from infringing Copyright in the aforesaid Sporting Event 'FIFA World Cup 2022' in any manner so as to prevent copying, transmission, communication, displaying, releasing, showing, hosting, streaming, uploading, downloading, exhibiting, playing and exhibition of the sporting event."

The Court further added that "For this purpose, if blocking of websites/web pages set out in Schedule herein becomes necessary, respondents herein shall do so."

The Court ordered that the aforesaid interim injunction shall operate for a period of four weeks, i.e., up to December 16, 2022

Cause Title- O.A. No.734 of 2022

Click here to read/download the Order



Madras High CourtJustice M. Sundar

Ashish Shaji