The Delhi High Court has restrained six foreign entities from pursuing copyright infringement proceedings against T.V. Today Network Limited before a US court over the use of weather-related footage in its news broadcasts. The Court held that the dispute, concerning videos prepared and published in India for Indian audiences, should appropriately be examined by Indian courts.
Background
Justice Tejas Karia was hearing an interim injunction application filed by T.V. Today Network Limited in a commercial suit concerning copyright claims over weather-related footage used in its news reports.
The dispute arose after copyright complaints lodged by the defendants led YouTube to remove certain videos published by the broadcaster. The complaints concerned 42 videos featuring weather events and natural disasters. Subsequently, the foreign entities initiated proceedings before the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging copyright infringement and related violations.
T.V. Today approached the Delhi High Court, arguing that the videos were prepared, edited and uploaded from India and contained its own reporting, narration and editorial contributions.
The Court noted that the central dispute concerned whether the broadcaster's use of the footage amounted to copyright infringement under the Copyright Act, 1957. It observed that the applicability of copyright protection and statutory exceptions under Section 52 had to be examined under Indian law.
The Court also considered the argument that the footage appeared only for a few seconds within news reports and was not used as independent entertainment content.
Observing the limited connection between the dispute and the United States, the Court stated:
"The dispute is whether the Subject Videos, created and published from India by an Indian broadcaster, infringe any copyright of Defendant Nos. 1 to 6 in the Defendants’ Recordings. Copyright subsistence and the exceptions under Section 52 of the Act are to be determined as per the provisions of the Act."
The Court further observed that continuing the American proceedings could expose the broadcaster's conduct in India to foreign law while the same dispute remained pending before Indian courts.
It held:
"Continuation of the US Suit would subject the Plaintiff’s conduct in India to foreign law while the same issue awaits adjudication here, creating a real risk of conflicting decisions. Such a situation is oppressive under ONGC (supra)."
Finding a prima facie case for an anti-suit injunction, the Court restrained Defendant Nos. 1 to 6 from continuing the US proceedings or initiating any other proceedings outside India concerning the subject matter of the Indian suit.
The Court clarified that its observations were prima facie and did not express any final opinion on the merits of the dispute. Accordingly, the interim injunction application was allowed.
The main suit was directed to be listed before the Joint Registrar (Judicial) on February 9, 2027.
Case Details
Case Title: T.V. Today Network Limited v. Global Weather Productions LLC & Ors.
Case Number: CS(COMM) 738/2026 (IA No. 18139/2026)
Judge: Justice Tejas Karia
Decision Date: November 5, 2026
