Delhi High Court orders blocking of 60 rogue websites streaming Zee Entertainment content
Zee had moved the Delhi High Court seeking a permanent injunction against the blatant piracy of its content and the infringement of its copyright and broadcast reproduction rights.
It also sought the blocking and suspension of the domain names registered by these websites, the disclosure of their details by registrars and ISPs, and de-indexing of rogue websites from search results by Google, among other relief.
The Delhi High Court granted interim relief to Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, directing sixty rogue websites to stop streaming TV shows, movies and other works over which Zee has exclusive broadcast rights.
The Court has also granted Zee the liberty to inform the authorities about additional infringing websites discovered during the case proceedings.
Moreover, the Court directed that if a non-infringing website is mistakenly blocked, it may approach the Court with an undertaking that it does not intend to engage in unauthorised streaming of the Zee’s content.
Delhi HC hears YouTuber Jerald’s plea over ‘illegal detention’ by TN cops
YouTuber and journalist Felix Jerald took his grievances to the Delhi High Court, filing a plea against the Tamil Nadu police for allegedly detaining him unlawfully.
According to Jerald’s petition, his arrest stemmed from a controversial interview with Shankar, who openly criticized the Madras High Court and certain women police officers in Tamil Nadu. Following the interview, Shankar himself was arrested on May 4, and the FIR reportedly implicated Jerald’s channel as well.
As per the plea, Jerald was “unexpectedly detained” by individuals who identified themselves as Tamil Nadu police on May 10, while he was in Delhi for a meeting with the Press Council of India.
Jerald claims he was not informed of his arrest reasons, nor was he shown a copy of the FIR. Further, he alleges the police disregarded his right to appear before a Delhi court for transit and kept him in undisclosed custody for nearly 66 hours before presenting him at a Tiruchirappalli court on May 13.
In July, the Madras High Court granted Jerald bail under the condition that he temporarily shut down his YouTube channel. The Supreme Court later stayed this directive, permitting Jerald to resume his platform.
DoT puts brakes on Starlink, Amazon’s Satellite Internet plans in India with new security demands
The DoT has urged Starlink and Amazon Web Services to complete security-related compliance to proceed with their applications for satellite internet in India.
While Airtel’s Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio’s SES have already received approvals for satellite services, Starlink and Amazon are yet to submit the required security documentation.
As per the recent report filed in The Economic Times, it was stated that DoT has issued a formal notice to these companies and is prepared to send a reminder if responses are not provided promptly.
DoT officials have highlighted that some areas in India are very sensitive in terms of national security. To mitigate the risks, satellite providers will have to submit documents which will be detailing data protection, coverage areas and other security-related information.
Suriya’s “Kanguva” Faces Legal Challenges
“Kanguva” has run into legal trouble as Reliance Entertainment took the matter to the Madras High Court over unpaid dues from Gnanavelraja.
He reportedly owes Reliance Rs 99.22 crores, borrowed for previous films, with Rs 45 crores still pending.
Reliance has asked the court to delay Kanguva’s release until this debt is settled. They also requested to hold back the OTT release of Vikram’s “Thangalaan”.
The court has noted the arguments, with the next hearing on November 7th. Despite recent box-office failures, “Kanguva” is Gnanavelraja’s biggest project as a producer, and Suriya has been actively promoting the film across India.
Delhi HC asks CBFC for response on accessibility features in films
The Delhi High Court has sought the stand of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on a petition seeking to ensure movies released after September 14 follow the accessibility guidelines for persons with hearing and visual disabilities.
The petitioner’s counsel claimed non-compliance with a high court order with respect to the mandatory accessibility features for persons with disabilities in film exhibition.
Movies “Vettaiyan” and “Martin”, which were released after September 14, did not fully integrate the mandatory accessibility features, it was illustrated.
The petitioner said movies should be screened on an “accessibility application” which was universally acceptable and provided the mandatory accessibility features in the films certified by the CBFC.
CBFC’s lawyer said the guidelines stipulated that cinema theatres should provide accessible features within a period of two years.
FIR against Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith for sexual assault of male artist at Bengaluru hotel in 2012
The International Airport police, Bengaluru, have registered an First Information Report (FIR) against Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith for allegedly sexually assaulting a male film artist at a hotel near Kempegowda International Airport in 2012.
According to the complainant, he met Ranjith in Kerala when the filmmaker had shared his mobile phone number. Ranjith allegedly asked the male artist to meet him at a hotel near KIA, and in the room Ranjith offered him alcohol and asked him to disrobe and sexually assaulted him. The complaint alleges that the filmmaker recorded the act on his phone and shared the video with others.
Based on the complaint, the International Airport police have now registered a case against Ranjith, charging him under Section 377 for unnatural sexual offences of the Indian Penal Code and also under various sections of the IT Act, 2000.
Jio Hotstar domain: Website acquired by new owners; it’s not Reliance
A visit to ‘Jio Hotstar dot com’ now displays a message from Jainam and Jivika, who describe their work as spreading kindness and positivity.
The siblings shared that they would use the website to post memories from their journey, including photos and videos. They explained that they acquired the domain from the Delhi-based developer using donations collected during their stay in India. “When we returned to Dubai, we used part of this collection to support a young software developer from Delhi by purchasing this domain for his benefit.”
Singham theme pulled off YouTube after copyright strike by T-Series
The title track of Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again was released on Saturday. The video, posted on YouTube and other major social media platforms, infused elements from the original Singham theme (from the 2011) film with a new score composed by Ravi Basrur. However, many noted that the song was unavailable on YouTube. A message in place of the thumbnail showed that it was taken down after a copyright strike by T-Series.
On Tuesday, an edited version of the song was re-uploaded on the YouTube channel. Listeners noted that the re-uploaded version was missing the iconic Singham theme from the previous two films. The theme was composed for the 2011 film by Ajay-Atul, and the soundtrack was released by T-Series.
India and Colombia sign Audio-Visual Co-Production Agreement to boost film co-production and cultural ties
India and Columbia have signed the Audio-Visual Co-Production Agreement which will enable Indian and Colombian film producers to utilize a platform for collaboration on various facets of film making. The agreement is expected to deepen the engagement between the critical sectors of the film industries of both countries thereby, unfolding a new chapter of collaboration.
Army can now directly issue notices to remove online posts
Before this notification, the Indian Army relied on MeitY to get unlawful content related to the army forced taken down or blocked
The ministry of defence has notified a senior army officer — the additional directorate general (ADG) of strategic communication in the Indian army — as the “nodal officer” who can send notices, including takedown notices, to social media intermediaries about illegal content related to the Indian army and its components under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act.
Copyright case against Navi Mumbai company for unauthorised use of font
Police in Navi Mumbai have registered a case against a company and its owners for alleged use of a font without the permission of a firm that had developed it.
As per the complaint, the erring company based in New Panvel was making use of the Sailfin font without obtaining a licence for it, the official said.
Mauritius Blocks Social Media Access Before Polls Over Wire-Tapping Scandal
Mauritius has been gripped by the release of secret recordings of phone calls by politicians, journalists, members of civil society and even foreign diplomats that began to emerge online last month.
The shock ban on social media was roundly condemned by the opposition and poses a major challenge for local media and political parties which rely heavily on Facebook and other online outlets.
Photographer Only Granted $3K Because Gigi Hadid Ignored His Copyright Lawsuit
Hadid chose not to respond to Ramales’ complaint altogether which led to a default judgment. The publication reports that as a result of her lack of response, Hadid effectively defaulted in Ramales’ copyright lawsuit, leading to a judgment of only $3,000 in damages. The court awarded the photographer the small settlement — a small portion of the $30,000 he had originally sought — along with $1,140 for attorney’s fees and $440 to cover costs.
The supermodel’s lawyers argued that she had the right to the photograph as a “joint author.” As Hadid had cooperated with the photographer and posed for the picture, she therefore established herself as a co-creator. While courts generally reject this argument — as did the judge who ruled over Hadid’s case — the supermodel’s lawsuit later got dismissed for other reasons.
