New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has issued an injunction to block the mobile app ‘King’s Pro+’ and several associated websites for illegally streaming proprietary content owned by Disney Star. The injunction follows a copyright infringement suit filed by Star Channels, which operates under Disney Star, accusing the app of providing access to its premium content for download and streaming without proper licensing agreements.
In its ruling, the Court found that the King’s Pro+ app was infringing on Disney Star’s copyrights by enabling unauthorized access to its content, including television shows, movies, and sports broadcasts. The app had been distributing the content without the necessary agreements or permissions from the rights holders.
As part of the ruling, the Court directed Name Cheap Inc., a domain registrar, to lock and suspend domain registrations linked to the infringing app and its associated websites. This includes blocking all URLs and User Interfaces (UIs) associated with the app’s illegal streaming services.
The Court also mandated that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) block access to ‘King’s Pro+’ and any related websites to prevent further unauthorized streaming. Additionally, the Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) have been instructed to ensure compliance by issuing notices to all telecom and internet service providers. This includes blocking not just the primary app but also any mirror or redirect sites that might attempt to bypass the injunction.
The ruling is seen as a significant step in the protection of intellectual property rights in the digital space, underlining the judiciary’s commitment to combat illegal streaming and piracy. Disney Star, which holds rights to high-value content in sports, television, and movies, has been actively pursuing legal measures to safeguard its assets against piracy and unauthorized distribution platforms.
In response to the Court’s decision, Disney Star expressed its appreciation for the swift legal action and reiterated its commitment to protecting its content from piracy. The company welcomed the Court’s intervention as an important step in ensuring that creators and content owners are able to monetize their work fairly and lawfully.
The injunction serves as a strong reminder to individuals and entities involved in illegal streaming or distribution of copyrighted content that such activities will not be tolerated and will be subject to strict legal action.
