The Delhi High Court has passed a sweeping interim order against dozens of piracy websites accused of illegally streaming and distributing films and web series belonging to major global studios, including Warner Bros, Netflix, Disney, Apple TV+, and others. Acting on an urgent plea, the court directed immediate blocking of access to the websites in India and granted what is known as a “Dynamic+ injunction” to curb future mirror sites as well.
Background of the Case
The suit was filed by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. along with other content owners and distributors, who told the court that at least 47 websites were hosting and streaming their copyrighted content without permission.
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The plaintiffs said they hold exclusive rights over a wide range of popular films and series, including Friends, Batman, Joker: Folie à Deux, Stranger Things, Squid Game, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Moana 2, and Mufasa: The Lion King. According to the studios, these works are protected under the Copyright Act, 1957, and any unauthorized online availability amounts to infringement.
The studios informed the court that they had issued takedown notices to the infringing websites on December 5, 2025. Despite this, the platforms allegedly continued to stream and offer downloads, forcing them to approach the court for urgent relief.
Apart from the websites themselves, the suit also named domain registrars, internet service providers (ISPs), and government departments such as the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY), seeking their assistance in disabling access to the infringing platforms.
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Court’s Observations
After examining screenshots and other material placed on record, the court noted that the websites were offering the plaintiffs’ content for viewing and download in real time, without any licence or consent.
The bench observed that the plaintiffs had successfully shown a prima facie case in their favour. It also found that the balance of convenience lay with the content owners and that they would suffer irreparable financial loss if immediate protection was not granted.
“The infringing websites are making available the plaintiffs’ copyrighted works without authorization, resulting in financial losses,” the court observed, adding that swift action was necessary to prevent further damage.
The court also took note of the recurring nature of online piracy, where blocked websites often resurface through mirror or redirect domains using similar names or content sources.
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Granting an ex parte ad-interim injunction, the court restrained the 47 identified websites from hosting, streaming, reproducing, distributing, or making available any of the plaintiffs’ copyrighted works.
The court directed domain name registrars to lock and suspend the infringing domains within 72 hours of receiving the order. They were also asked to submit basic subscriber information, including ownership details and IP logs, in a sealed cover.
Internet service providers were ordered to block access to the infringing websites in India within the same 72-hour timeframe.
Importantly, the court granted a Dynamic-injunction, allowing the plaintiffs to extend the order to future mirror, redirect, or alphanumeric variants of the blocked websites by filing a simple application. This step is meant to prevent operators from bypassing court orders by launching new domains with minor changes.
The court clarified that if any non-infringing website is blocked by mistake, it may approach the court with an affidavit stating that it does not host or intend to host illegal content. In such cases, the court may consider modifying the injunction.
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Decision
The Delhi High Court allowed the interim applications and issued directions for immediate blocking of the infringing websites, suspension of their domains, and disclosure of ownership details. The matter has been listed for further proceedings after completion of pleadings, with the interim protection to continue until the next hearing.
Case Title: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. & Ors. vs Animesugez.to & Ors.
Case No.: CS(COMM) 1361/2025
Case Type: Commercial Suit – Copyright Infringement
Decision Date: 18 December 2025
