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DoT orders immediate blocking of 23 rogue gaming websites impersonating Zupee platform
Acting on Delhi High Court’s orders, the Department of Telecommunications has directed ISPs to block access to infringing domains exploiting Zupee’s trademark and misleading Indian users.
The matter is now scheduled to be heard again on September 9, 2025, as Zupee continues its legal push to protect its brand from imposters operating in the booming online gaming space. (Image: Unsplash)
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued a directive to all licensed internet service providers (ISPs) in India to block 23 rogue websites found to be illegally using the trademark “Zupee” to promote unauthorized online gaming platforms.
The move follows a series of interim orders by the Delhi High Court in the case CASHGRAIL Private Limited vs John Doe & Others (CS(COMM) 265/2025).
Cashgrail, the parent company behind the Zupee brand, had approached the court after discovering that multiple domains, some of which were previously ordered to be blocked, had resurfaced using new URLs.
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The company alleged that these websites were dishonestly presenting themselves as affiliated with Zupee to mislead users, inviting them to download games and potentially compromise their data.
In its order dated July 25, 2025, Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora directed defendants to enforce prior and current orders by ensuring the blocking of 13 URLs that had evaded the original court injunction by altering their domain names. These included sites like zupee.gold, playzupeegames.com, zupeeapps.com, and mobile.zupeegame.in, among others.
The order also covered a fresh batch of 9 websites, recently impleaded as defendants such as zupeeapk.shop, ludo.games, and zupeeludoapp.com. The Court found these domains were continuing to infringe upon Zupee’s registered trademark and directed they be blocked under the same terms.
According to the Court, the plaintiff has successfully demonstrated a strong prima facie case of trademark infringement, with the infringing sites causing potential confusion and financial harm to unsuspecting consumers. The Court noted the balance of convenience tilted in the plaintiff’s favor and emphasized the potential for irreparable harm if the websites remained accessible.
The DoT, in its follow-up order dated July 27, 2025, instructed all ISPs with internet service authorization to immediately block access to the listed domains.
The matter is now scheduled to be heard again on September 9, 2025, as Zupee continues its legal push to protect its brand from imposters operating in the booming online gaming space.
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