In a major copyright enforcement action, the Delhi High Court has issued an order directing internet service providers and domain registrars to block 30 websites for illegally streaming copyrighted films and series owned by media giant HBO.
Clarifying the legal boundaries for digital intermediaries, Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani ruled that domain name registrars and internet service providers are restricted strictly to technical verification. Under the July 27 ruling, intermediaries must confirm whether newly identified domains act as mirror, redirect, or alphanumeric variants of the blocked platforms before executing access restrictions.
Technical Scope And Intermediary Neutrality
The court emphasized that intermediaries do not possess discretionary power to decide which sites to restrict independently, nor can they enact blocks solely on private requests. To maintain safe harbour immunity under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, service providers must operate in a strictly neutral manner, though they reserve the right to petition the court if they dispute a blocking request.
Widespread Infringement And Masked Identities
During the proceedings, legal counsel Saikrishna Rajagopal, representing HBO, highlighted that the 30 target websites operate without licenses and frequently broadcast copyrighted titles immediately after release, or in some instances, prior to official distribution. The bench observed that these platforms function primarily to facilitate copyright theft, noting that the true operators masked their details through privacy protection services to evade direct litigation.
Legal Recourse And Target Catalog
The court noted that any platform claiming to be wrongly restricted retains the right to challenge the block in court. Counsel representing the defendant intermediaries stated that the providers had no hesitation in executing the blocking mandates for the designated websites. The order protects HBO’s extensive production portfolio, which includes prominent series such as Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Succession, Chernobyl, The Last of Us, and Euphoria.
