In the High Court of Judicature at Bombay Ordinary Original Civil Jurisdiction Notice of Motion (L) No
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
906-NMSL1783-16-UDTA PUNJAB.DOC SHEPHALI IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION NOTICE OF MOTION (L) NO. 1783 OF 2016 IN SUIT (L) NO. 633 OF 2016 Balaji Motion Picture Limited & Anr. …Plaintiffs Versus Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. & 49 Ors. …Defendants M . Sha#$%&h M%'()', a/w Mr. N. Rodriguse, i/b R. M. Partners, for the Plaintiffs. M . G"* "+ Sha!, i/b Vishal Gupta, for the Defendant No. 5. CORAM, G.S. -ATEL. J DATED, 16/h J*ne 2016 -C,0 1. $his is an urgent a%%lication mo&ed against a num'er of #efendants. Some are Internet Ser&ice Pro&iders ()intermediaries* +ithin the meaning of Information & Technolog, Act, 2///0; others are ca'le operators1 and some are unkno+n persons- those 2no+n as )John Doe* or )Asho !u"ar* defendants. $he Suit is a h,'rid Bombayaction. It com'ines %rinci%les High under Order 3 4ule 5 andCourt Section 363 of the Code of 7i&il Procedure- 3!/5 +ith the +ell82no+n John Doe or Asho !u"ar %rinci%le. $his has 'een in&o2ed fre9uentl,. I m,self ha&e passed orders in similar matters. Page 1 of 53 16th June 2016 ::: Uploaded on - 16/06/2016 ::: Downloaded on - 16/06/2016 17:26:46 ::: 906-NMSL1783-16-UDTA PUNJAB.DOC 2. $he %resent Suit is in res%ect of a forthcoming film entitled :UDTA -UNJAB;. $he film is scheduled for release on 3<th =une ./16. 3. $he injunction sought does not relate to an, internal dis%ute regarding the %roduction of the film. All that the Plaintiffs see2 to do is to restrain %otential damage and loss on account of %irated and illicit co%ies 'eing made a&aila'le online. $he action is- therefore- a quia timet action. It is b, no means the first of its 2ind.1 1. $he %laint has a &er, long list of different +e'sites- all of +hich su%%osedl, offer or host, or- the Plaintiffs a%%rehend- +ill offer or host lin2s to illicit do+nloads of this film. $he Plaintiffs as2 inter alia that all these we'sites 'e bloc2ed b, the Defendants. 2. Mr. Shah a%%ears for Defendant No. 6- Hath+a, Ca'le & Datacom Limited- a %rominent internet ser&ice %ro&ider in Mum'ai and else+here. Mr. Shah su'mits- and I thin2 9uite rightl,- that it is unreasona'le to e?%ect an, of the intermediaries or ca'le o%erators #efendants to 'loc2 entire +e'sites. It is one thing to as2 that links 1 Red $hillies %ntertain"ents Pri&ate 'i"ited & (athway $able * Dataco" 'i"ited * ,rs.- in Notice of Motion (L0 No. .@>> of ./3 in Suit (L0 No. !! of ./3 - dated 3 th "cto'er ./3 1 -A. -elevision 'i"ited & Ra/an Mandan- .//@ AS4 ..1 Viaco"01 Motion Pi+tures v. 2onali $able Vision Pri&ate 'i"ited * ,rs- order dated 36th =une ./3.1 & %ros Bombay.nternational Media 'i"ited High * Anr. v. Bharat 2an+har Court Nigam 'i"ited- Notice of Motion (L0 No. 3/6. of ./3> in Suit (L0 No. @/@ of ./3>- dated @0th March ./3>1 4ash Raj 5il"s Pvt 'td & 3harat 2an+har Nigam 'td- Notice of Motion (L0 No. 3.00 of ./3> in Suit (L0 No. @>/ of ./3>- order dated 3@th A%ril ./3>1 !rian Pi+ture 'i"ited v. Bharat 2an+har Nigam 'i"ited * ,thers, Notice of Motion (L0 No. 3@@@ of ./3> in Suit (L0 No. 10 of ./3>- order dated .1st A%ril ./3>. Page 2 of 53 16th June 2016 ::: Uploaded on - 16/06/2016 ::: Downloaded on - 16/06/2016 17:26:46 ::: 906-NMSL1783-16-UDTA PUNJAB.DOC to a s%ecific do+nload of the film in 9uestion 'e ta2en do+n or rendered inaccessi'le. But to as2- as the Plaintiffs do, that an entire +e'site 'e rendered is in itself unreasona'le. $he suggestion, im%licit in the %laint, that all these 5// +e'sites ha&e onl, illicit content and that the, ha&e no %ermissi'le or legitimate content, is un+arranted and without disclosed 'asis. 6. $here is much su'stance to +hat Mr. Shah sa,s. Placed in the o&er'road manner one finds in the Plaint, the reliefs sought, if granted- +ould o%erate as %re-censorshi% or gag orders. $here are other considerations too, and I am ', no means con&inced that a court should order a +holesale 'loc2ing of access to &arious +e'sites or that this is e&en technicall, feasi'le. 7. Mr. Shah also %oints out that it is unclear from the B4L listing in the %laint +hether an, of these relate to secure +e'sites- i.e.- to online ser&ices that are su'scri%tion-based or allo+ access against %a,ment. If so, the Defendants are not %ermitted in la+ to 'loc2 access to such su'scri'ed or fee8'ased sites. $hese secure sites are those accessi'le &ia a secured connection, one %refi?ed with !//3&,44. $his su'mission is also +ell-founded. $he orders of restraint sought cannot, therefore- co&er an, fee8'ased +e'sites irres%ecti&e of +hether the, are listed in the %laint or not. I must %roceed on the footing that su'scri%tion and fee8'ased +e'sites are Bombayalread, regulated as to their High contents. $he, ha&e an 'uilt-inCourt lia'ility. $here is no %ossi'ility of these +e'sites hosting illicit content and 'eing %ermitted to charge access fees. I +ill lea&e it open to the Plaintiffs to point out s%ecific instances of &iolation or default b, an, fee8'ased secure we'site and to mo&e again in res%ect of those. Page 3 of 53 16th June 2016 ::: Uploaded on - 16/06/2016 ::: Downloaded on - 16/06/2016 17:26:46 ::: 906-NMSL1783-16-UDTA PUNJAB.DOC 8. $hus- +hile I am %re%ared to grant the Plaintiff some relief- this must 'e s%ecific and in relation to the film in 9uestion. I +ill not grant such an o&er'road relief of the 2ind sought in one of the %ra,ers to this Notice of Motion. Pre&ious orders ha&e not made this distinction, and that +as a mista2e. I must e?%ress m, thanks to Mr. Shah for pointing this out. 5. A prima fa+ie case has 'een made out ', the Plaintiffs for grant of relief in terms that follo+. Pra,ers a(i0 and a(ii0 do not seem to lin2 an, +e'sites in %articular. $he, are reasona'l, +orded and re9uire restraint against illicit do+nloads +here&er these are to 'e found. $here should be no im%ediment to the grant of these %ra,ers. 10. Pra,er a(iii0- ho+e&er- contains a reference to the +e'sites- domain name and B4Ls listed in the Plaint and as2s that all of them 'e 'loc2ed. Aor the reasons I mentioned earlier- I am unpre%ared to to grant that relief in this form. $he Defendants can 'e restrained from %ermitting access to lin2s to illicit do+nloads of the film in 9uestion. Pra,er (a0(iii0 in the form in which it is placed is rejected. 11. $here +ill- therefore- 'e an ad-interim injunction in terms of %ra,er clauses a(i0- a(ii0- a(i&0 and a(&0- which read as follo+sC “(a) That pending the final hearing and disposal of the Suit, this Hon’ble Court, be pleased to Bombayrestrain High Court (i) that the efendants b! the"selves, their ser#ants, agents, li$ensees, fran$hisees, partners, proprietors and%or other&ise Page 4 of 53 16th June 2016 ::: Uploaded on - 16/06/2016 ::: Downloaded on - 16/06/2016 17:26:46 ::: 906-NMSL1783-16-UDTA PUNJAB.DOC ho&soe#er be restrained b! an order of "andator! in'un$tion of this Hon’ble Court fro" e(hibiting% disse"inating % $o""uni$ating to the publi$ #ia the internet, tele$asting% broad$asting% distributing% reprodu$ing or other&ise "a)ing a#ailable to the publi$ #ia $able net&or)* (ii) that the efendants b! the"selves, their ser#ants, agents, li$ensees, fran$hisees, partners, proprietors and% or other&ise ho&soe#er be restrained b! an order of "andator! in'un$tion of this Hon’ble Court fro" (i) "a)ing a $op! of the film and said &or), in$luding a photograph of an! i"age for"ing part thereof, (ii) to selling or gi#ing on hire, or offering for sale or hire, an! $op! of the said film and said &or), regardless of &hether su$h $op! has been sold or gi#en on hire on earlier o$$asions, and (iii) $o""uni$ating the said film and said &or) to the publi$ in an! "anner &hatsoe#er in$luding b! &a! of but not li"ited to exhibiting% disse"inating% $o""uni$ating to the publi$ #ia the internet, tele$asting% broad$asting% distributing% reprodu$ing or other&ise "a)ing a#ailable to the publi$ #ia the internet or an! other "eans for the Bombaysaid +ilm High and said ,or)* Court (i#) grant an order of te"porar! in'un$tion restraining the efendants ($able T- operators) fro" broad$asting, $ontents that relate to the said +ilm and said ,or), Page 5 of 53 16th June 2016 ::: Uploaded on - 16/06/2016 ::: Downloaded on - 16/06/2016 17:26:46 ::: 906-NMSL1783-16-UDTA PUNJAB.DOC in an! "anner, thereb! restraining the unauthori.ed $op!ing, trans"ission, $o""uni$ation or "a)e a#ailable or displa! or release or sho& or e(hibit or pla! and%or in an! "anner $o""uni$ate in and%or through the $able T- ser#i$es pro#ided b! the", i""ediately upon re$eipt of details of su$h $able operators in &riting fro" the /laintiff or its authori.ed representati#es* (#) /ass an order dire$ting the $on$erned poli$e station(s) to render ne$essar! assistan$e to the /laintiff $o"pan! in restraining the efendants fro" #iolating%infringing the said +ilm and said ,or)01 12.