Delhi High Court - Orders
Warner Bros Entertainment Inc & Ors vs Bolly4U.Tr & Ors on 9 May, 2025
Author: Amit Bansal
Bench: Amit Bansal
$~31
* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
+ CS(COMM) 442/2025 & I.A. 11766-11770/2025
WARNER BROS ENTERTAINMENT INC & ORS. .....Plaintiffs
Through: Mr. Sidharth Chopra, Ms. Suhasisni
Raina, Mr. Raghav Goyal,
Ms. Priyanka Jaiswal and Mr. Mehr
Sidhu, Advocates
versus
BOLLY4U.TR & ORS. .....Defendants
Through:
CORAM:
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE AMIT BANSAL
ORDER
% 09.05.2025 I.A. 11767/2025 (exemption)
1. Allowed, subject to the plaintiffs filing certified/translated copies of documents within four weeks.
2. The application stands disposed of.
I.A. 11768/2025 (seeking exemption from issuing notice to defendant No.45 and 46)
3. This application has been filed by the plaintiffs seeking exemption from issuing notice to defendants no.45 and 46.
4. For the reasons stated in the application, the same is allowed, and plaintiffs are exempted from issuing notice to defendants no.45 and 46.
5. The application is disposed of.
I.A. 11769/2025 (seeking exemption from filing documents in separate CS(COMM) 442/2025 Page 1 of 17 This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 29/06/2025 at 23:41:43 volumes)
6. This application has been filed by the plaintiffs seeking an exemption from filing documents in separate volumes.
7. For the reasons stated in the application, the same is allowed.
8. The application is disposed of.
I.A. 11770/2025_(O-XI R-1(4) of the Commercial Courts Act)
9. The present application has been filed on behalf of the plaintiffs seeking leave to file additional documents under the Commercial Courts Act, 2015.
10. The plaintiffs are permitted to file additional documents in accordance with the provisions of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015 and the Delhi High Court (Original Side) Rules, 2018.
11. Accordingly, the application is disposed of. CS(COMM) 442/2025
12. Let the plaint be registered as a suit.
13. Issue summons.
14. Summons be issued to the defendants through all modes. The summons shall state that the written statement(s) shall be filed by the defendants within thirty days from the date of the receipt of summons. Along with the written statement(s), the defendants shall also file affidavit of admission/denial of the documents of the plaintiffs, without which the written statement(s) shall not be taken on record.
15. Liberty is given to the plaintiffs to file replications, if any, within thirty days from the receipt of the written statement(s). Along with the replications filed by the plaintiffs, affidavit of admission/denial of the documents of the defendants be filed by the plaintiffs.
16. The parties shall file all original documents in support of their CS(COMM) 442/2025 Page 2 of 17 This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 29/06/2025 at 23:41:43 respective claims along with their respective pleadings. In case parties are placing reliance on a document, which is not in their power and possession, its detail and source shall be mentioned in the list of reliance, which shall also be filed with the pleadings.
17. If any of the parties wish to seek inspection of any documents, the same shall be sought and given within the timelines.
18. List before the Joint Registrar on 05th August, 2025, for completion of service and pleadings.
19. List before the Court on 19th September, 2025. I.A. 11766/2025 (u/O-XXXIX Rule 1 & 2 of Code of Civil Procedure, 1908)
20. The present suit has been filed seeking relief of permanent injunction, restraining the defendants no.1 to 23 (rogue websites) from infringing the exclusive rights in the plaintiffs' original content/work by making their original content/work available for downloading, streaming, uploading and reproducing, along with other ancillary reliefs.
21. The plaintiffs no. 1 to 5, i.e., Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Netflix US, LLC, Disney Enterprises, Inc., Apple Video Programming LLC, and Crunchyroll LLC, respectively, are leading entertainment companies globally known for the production and/or distribution of motion pictures/ cinematograph films/ shows.
22. The plaintiffs are the authors of the original content motion picture/ cinematographic films such as Joker: Folie à Deux, Squid Game - Season-1, Mufasa: The Lion King, Silo - Season 1, The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten, etc. The details of the original content motion picture/ cinematographic films of the plaintiffs are given in paragraph 15 of the plaint.
CS(COMM) 442/2025 Page 3 of 17This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 29/06/2025 at 23:41:43
23. It is stated that the plaintiffs have exclusive rights to communicate their content to the public.
24. It is averred that the plaintiffs' films and television shows, comprising both visual and sound recordings, qualify as "cinematograph films" under Section 2(f) of the Copyright Act, 1957 (hereinafter the 'Act'). It is stated that all of the plaintiffs' cinematograph films and shows fall within the definition of 'works' under Section 2(y) of the Act and are subject to the rights conferred by Section 14(d) of the Act.
25. It is stated that since these works are released or published in India, they are entitled to protection under Sections 13(1), 13(2), and 13(5) of the Act. Even in cases where the works are not first published in India, they are still protected under Section 40 of the Act, which extends copyright protection to foreign works.
26. The plaintiffs have exclusive rights to communicate their content to the public. The plaintiffs are the authors, first owners, or exclusive Indian distributors of these works and are entitled to legal protections.
27. It is contended that defendants no.1 to 23, ("defendant websites") are online locations which enable the use of defendant websites' services, without any authorisation or license from the plaintiffs, to
(a) view (by a process known as streaming/ downloading) cinematograph films, motion pictures, television programs or other audio-visual content, on devices connected to the Internet;
(b) cause copies of those cinematograph films to be downloaded onto the memory of their devices for watching later or enabling others to watch or further copy those cinematograph films; and/or CS(COMM) 442/2025 Page 4 of 17 This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 29/06/2025 at 23:41:43
(c) identify other online locations including (by a process known as "linking"), which enable those users to engage in the activities set out in (a) or (b).
28. An illustrative list of illegal content made available by the defendants' websites has been provided in paragraph 29 of the plaint.
29. In order to protect and enforce their exclusive rights, the plaintiffs investigated and monitored the defendants' websites and gathered evidence of their infringing activities. The evidence collected by the investigator shows that the operators of the defendant websites are using known "pirate branding"
to signal to users that the defendant websites are merely new iterations of sites that have been blocked earlier. Therefore, the defendants' websites are in the nature of new iterations, and the new iterations almost invariably have the same functionality and purpose as the earlier blocked sites. The evidence gathered by the plaintiffs is filed along with the plaint.
30. It is further contended that despite sending the legal notices and calling upon the concerned defendants to cease engaging in their infringing activities, the defendants continue to infringe the rights of the plaintiffs' original content. It is also contended that access to defendant no.22 has also been disabled in Australia, details of which are given in paragraph 36 of the plaint.
31. In light of the above, it is stated that the defendants no.1 to 23 are liable for infringement of the plaintiffs' copyright works under Section 51(a) and Section 51(b) of the Act. The said infringement includes unauthorized acts of copying the plaintiff's original content, storing the same in any medium by electronic or other means, and communicating it to the public by hosting, streaming, reproducing, distributing, or making available for download and streaming, without authorisation of the plaintiffs. Reliance is placed on the CS(COMM) 442/2025 Page 5 of 17 This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 29/06/2025 at 23:41:43 decision of this court in UTV Software Communication Ltd. & Anr. v. 1337x.to and Ors1, wherein a coordinate bench of this court laid down factors to categorise a website as a rogue website.
32. It is further contended by the plaintiffs' counsel that the majority of the defendants no. 1 to 23's websites are anonymous in nature, and the information provided in the public domain regarding the owners of the website is either incomplete, incorrect or protected behind a veil of secrecy. These websites hide behind domain privacy services offered by various domain name registrars, which enable a website owner to hide behind a veil and not disclose any contact details publicly, to protect their privacy.
33. Therefore, to ensure the effective implementation of orders passed by this Court, the plaintiffs have arrayed various domain name registrars as the defendants no. 24-35 (hereinafter "the said DNRs"), internet and telecom services providers as the defendants no. 36-44 (hereinafter "the said ISPs"), DoT as the defendant no. 45, MEITY as the defendant no. 46 in the present suit.
34. Defendant no. 47 is the copyright owner of the work, "The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten", for which the plaintiff no. 5 is the exclusive distributor in India. Defendant no. 47 has authorized plaintiff no. 5 to protect their intellectual property rights in India with respect to such work.
35. Based on the averments made in the plaint, the plaintiffs have established themselves as the owner of their works in the original content motion pictures/ cinematographic films. A prima facie case is made out in favour of the plaintiffs.
12019 SCC OnLine Del 8002 CS(COMM) 442/2025 Page 6 of 17 This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 29/06/2025 at 23:41:43
36. Balance of convenience is also in favour of the plaintiffs. Further, irreparable harm or injury would be caused to the plaintiffs if an interim injunction order is not passed. The need for immediate relief is particularly pressing in this case as the defendants are making available the original content of the plaintiffs, which could lead to significant financial losses for the plaintiff.
37. Consequently, defendants no. 1 to 23 and as mentioned in Annexure A (and any such other mirror / redirect / alphanumeric website which appears to be associated with any of the defendant websites either based on its name, branding or the identity of its operator, or source of the content or discovered to provide additional means of accessing, defendant websites, and other domains /domain along with their subdomains and subdirectories, owners / website operators / entities which are discovered to have been engaging in infringing the Plaintiffs' exclusive rights), its owners, partners, proprietors, officers, servants, employees, and all others in capacity of principal or agent acting for and on their behalf, or anyone claiming through, by or under it, are restrained from hosting, streaming, reproducing, distributing, making available to the public and / or communicating to the public, or facilitating the same, on their websites, through the internet in any manner whatsoever, any cinematograph work / content / program / show in relation to which plaintiffs have copyright and / or exclusive distribution rights.
38. Defendants no. 24 to 35 (DNRs) and other DNRs, their directors, partners, proprietors, officers, affiliates, servants, employees, and all others in capacity of principal or agent acting for and on their behalf, or anyone claiming through, by or under it, are directed to lock and suspend and provide details relating to the registrant of the defendants no. 1 to 23 (and any such CS(COMM) 442/2025 Page 7 of 17 This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 29/06/2025 at 23:41:43 other mirror / redirect / alphanumeric website which appears to be associated with any of the defendants no. 1 to 23 either based on its name, branding, the identity of its operator, or the source of the content or discovered to provide additional means of accessing the defendants no. 1 to 23, and other domains / domain along with their subdomains and subdirectories, owners / website operators / entities which are discovered to have been engaging in infringing the plaintiffs' exclusive rights), as mentioned in Annexure B, including KYC, credit card, mobile number etc., to the plaintiffs, within 72 hours of being communicated with a copy of this order.
39. Defendants no. 36 to 44 (ISPs), their directors, partners, proprietors, officers, affiliates, servants, employees, and all others in capacity of principal or agent acting for and on their behalf, or anyone claiming through, by or under it, are directed to block access to the defendants no. 1 to 23 websites identified by the plaintiffs in the instant suit and as mentioned in Annexure A (and any such other mirror / redirect / alphanumeric website which appears to be associated with defendants no. 1 to 23 either based on its name, branding or the identity of its operator, or the source of the content or discovered to provide additional means of accessing, the defendants no. 1 to 23, and other domains/domain along with their subdomains and subdirectories, owners / website operators / entities which are discovered to have been engaging in infringing the Plaintiffs' exclusive rights), within 72 hours of being communicated with a copy of this order.
40. Defendants no. 45 and 46 (DoT and MEITY), are directed to issue a notification calling upon the various internet and telecom service providers registered under it to block access to the defendants no. 1 to 23 websites identified by the plaintiffs in the instant suit and as mentioned in Annexure A CS(COMM) 442/2025 Page 8 of 17 This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 29/06/2025 at 23:41:43 (and any such other mirror / redirect / alphanumeric website which appears to be associated with any of the defendants no. 1 to 23 either based on its name, branding or the identity of its operator, or the source of the content or discovered to provide additional means of accessing, the defendants no. 1 to 23, and other domains/domain along with their subdomains and subdirectories, owners/website operators/entities which are discovered to have been engaging in infringing the Plaintiffs' exclusive rights), within 72 hours of being communicated with a copy of this order.
41. To keep up with the hydra-headed nature of the infringement actions of such infringing domains/websites, this Court finds it fit to grant a 'Dynamic+ injunction' to protect copyrighted works as soon as they are created, to ensure that no irreparable loss is caused to the owners of copyrighted works, as there is an imminent possibility of works being uploaded on infringing websites or their newer versions immediately thereafter. Plaintiffs are permitted to implead any mirror/ redirect/ alphanumeric variations of the websites identified in the suit as defendants no. 1 to 23, including those websites which are associated with them, either based on the name, branding, identity or even source of content, by filing an application for impleadment under Order I Rule 10 of the CPC and extend the present order against them, in the event such websites merely provide new means of accessing the same primary infringing websites that have been injuncted.
42. If any website, which is not primarily an infringing website, is blocked pursuant to the present order, they shall be permitted to approach the Court by giving an undertaking that it does not intend to engage in any unauthorized or illegal dissemination of cinematograph films/ shows or any other content CS(COMM) 442/2025 Page 9 of 17 This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 29/06/2025 at 23:41:43 over which the plaintiffs have rights. In such a situation, the Court would consider modifying the injunction as the facts and circumstances so warrant.
43. Issue Notice.
44. Notice be issued to the defendants via all permissible modes, including e-mail.
45. Reply(ies) be filed within four (4) weeks.
46. Rejoinder(s) thereto, if any, be filed within two (2) weeks thereafter.
47. Compliance with Order XXXIX Rule 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, through email, within a period of five days from today. The necessary affidavit shall be filed within one week thereafter.
48. List before the Joint Registrar on 5th August 2025 for completion of service and pleadings.
49. List before the Court on 19th September 2025.
AMIT BANSAL, J MAY 9, 2025 ds CS(COMM) 442/2025 Page 10 of 17 This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 29/06/2025 at 23:41:43 Annexure - A Defendant Defendant Domain URL IP Address Nos.
Defendant No. 11. bolly4u.tr https://bolly4u.tr 172.67.210.126 104.21.23.104
2. bolly4u.vc https://bolly4u.vc 104.21.47.89 172.67.146.19
3. vegamovies4u.ac https://vegamovies4 172.67.129.201 u.ac 104.21.2.231
4. vegamovies4u.bz https://vegamovies4 104.21.57.66 u.bz 172.67.189.97
5. vegamovies4u.com.b https://vegamovies4 172.67.187.102 y u.com.by 104.21.48.170
6. vegamovies4u.in https://vegamovies4 172.67.194.34 u.in 104.21.92.129
7. vegamovies4u.io https://vegamovies4 104.21.48.1 u.io 104.21.112.1
8. vegamovies4u.me https://vegamovies4 172.67.129.25 u.me 104.21.2.108 Defendant No. 2
9. pikahd.com https://pikahd.com 172.67.145.250 104.21.47.85
10. katmoviehd.rodeo https://katmoviehd.r 104.21.25.122 odeo 172.67.134.56 CS(COMM) 442/2025 Page 11 of 17 This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 29/06/2025 at 23:41:43 Defendant No. 3
11. 037HdMovie.com https://www.037hdm 104.22.6.112 ovie.com 172.67.5.170
12. 037Hd.tv https://037hd.tv 104.26.3.125 172.67.69.168 Defendant No. 4
12. Movieverse https://movieverse.o 172.67.166.47 ne 104.21.89.248 Defendant No. 5
14. streamblasters.pm https://streamblaster 104.21.16.1 s.pm 104.21.32.1 Defendant No. 6
15. coolsanime.net https://coolsanime.n 172.67.206.203 et 104.21.53.7
16. coolsanime.me https://coolsanime.m 172.67.189.248 e 104.21.89.166 Defendant No. 7
17. hdmania.live https://hdmania.live 104.21.42.151 172.67.163.11
18. hdmania.org https://hdmania.org 104.21.71.116 172.67.144.202
19. hdmania.mobi https://www.hdmani 104.21.71.120 a.mobi 172.67.144.206 Defendant NO. 8
20. andyday.tv https://andyday.tv 172.67.198.2 CS(COMM) 442/2025 Page 12 of 17 This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 29/06/2025 at 23:41:43 104.21.60.156 Defendant No. 9
21. tvshows4mobile.org https://tvshows4mob 104.21.4.158 ile.org 172.67.132.60
22. tvshows4mobile.co https://tvshows4mob 172.67.212.251 m ile.com 104.21.85.247 Defendant no. 10
23. animesugetv.to https://animesugetv.t 172.67.213.179 o 104.21.93.181 Defendant No. 11
24. donkey.to https://donkey.to 104.21.64.1 104.21.96.1 Defendant No. 12
25. anikoto.to https://anikoto.to 172.67.139.34 104.21.87.11 Defendant No. 13
26. broflix.ci https://broflix.ci 104.21.80.1 104.21.96.1
27. broflix.cc https://broflix.cc 104.21.83.203 172.67.181.74 Defendant No. 14
28. nunflix.org https://nunflix.org 172.66.44.103 172.66.47.153 Defendant No. 15
29. popcornmovies.to https://popcornmovi 104.21.45.207 CS(COMM) 442/2025 Page 13 of 17 This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 29/06/2025 at 23:41:43 es.to 172.67.218.221 Defendant No. 16
30. gojo.wtf https://gojo.wtf 172.67.202.141 104.21.60.241 Defendant No. 17
31. wooflix.tv https://wooflix.tv 104.21.82.93 172.67.167.249
32. booflix.to https://booflix.to 172.67.170.227 104.21.28.151 Defendant No. 18
33. wcostream.tv https://wcostream.tv 104.26.13.49 172.67.71.104 Defendant No. 19
34. cinevez.foo https://www.cinevez 172.67.144.221 .foo/ 104.21.47.59
35. cinevez.io https://cinevez.io 104.21.48.1 104.21.16.1
36. cinevez.dev https://cinevez.dev 172.67.187.130 104.21.7.59 Defendant No. 20
37. awafim.tv https://awafim.tv 172.67.161.129 104.21.66.157 Defendant No. 21
38. animez.org https://animez.org 172.67.169.17 104.21.27.84 CS(COMM) 442/2025 Page 14 of 17 This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 29/06/2025 at 23:41:43 Defendant No. 22
39. animepahe.ru https://animepahe.ru 185.178.208.138 Defendant No. 23
40. sdmoviespoint.voto https://sdmoviespoin 104.21.32.102 t.voto 172.67.150.194
41. sdmoviespoint.mem https://sdmoviespoin 172.67.148.221 e t.meme 104.21.47.155
42. sdmoviespoint.my https://sdmoviespoin 172.67.171.62 t.my 104.21.29.16 CS(COMM) 442/2025 Page 15 of 17 This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 29/06/2025 at 23:41:43 Annexure - B Defendant No. Domain Name Registrars Domain Names (DNRs)
24. NameCheap, Inc. bolly4u.vc coolsanime.net coolsanime.me vegamovies4u.ac VegaMovies4u.bz sdmoviespoint.voto sdmoviespoint.meme 037Hd.tv VegaMovies4u.in VegaMovies4u.io VegaMovies4u.me gojo.wtf sdmoviespoint.my
25. NameSilo, LLC broflix.cc andyday.tv
26. Tucows, Inc. nunflix.org pikahd.com KatMovieHd.rodeo cinevez.foo cinevez.dev awafim.tv hdmania.live CS(COMM) 442/2025 Page 16 of 17 This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 29/06/2025 at 23:41:43 hdmania.org HdMania.mobi
27. Sarek Oy streamblasters.pm wooflix.tv cinevez.io
28. ATAK DOMAİN BİLGİ bolly4u.tr TEKNOLOJİLERİ ANONİM ŞİRKETİ
29. Netim broflix.ci
30. Nics Telekomunikasyon wcostream.tv A.S.
31. Squarespace Domains II animez.org LLC
32. ARDIS-RU animepahe.ru
33. Name.com, Inc. tvshows4mobile.org tvshows4mobile.com 037HdMovie.com
34. Spaceship, Inc. movieverse.one
35. Reliable Software, Ltd VegaMovies4u.com.by CS(COMM) 442/2025 Page 17 of 17 This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 29/06/2025 at 23:41:43