Delhi HC grants first ever pre-release piracy injunction for Bollywood film Jolly LLB 3
The court restrained 24 piracy websites—including notorious platforms such as Vegamovies, Filmyzilla, Bolly4u, Moviesflix, and TamilMV—from hosting, streaming, or making the upcoming film available for download without authorization.
ADVERTISEMENT
In a landmark move, the Delhi High Court has issued the first-ever pre-release injunction order to protect a Bollywood film from piracy, directing internet service providers (ISPs), domain name registrars (DNRs), and government authorities to block dozens of rogue websites attempting to illegally stream or distribute Jolly LLB 3.
The order (accessed by Storyboard18), passed by Justice Tejas Karia in the case Jiostar India Pvt. Ltd. vs Vegamovies.yachts & Ors., marks a significant step in India’s fight against online piracy of films. The court restrained 24 piracy websites—including notorious platforms such as Vegamovies, Filmyzilla, Bolly4u, Moviesflix, and TamilMV—from hosting, streaming, or making the upcoming film available for download without authorization.
Jiostar India Pvt. Ltd., which owns the exclusive intellectual property and global media rights of Jolly LLB 3, approached the High Court fearing large-scale piracy ahead of the movie’s theatrical release on September 19, 2025. The studio argued that piracy would cause irreparable financial losses, undermine theatrical revenues, and violate its copyright.
JioStar highlighted that the targeted websites, accessible across India without geo-restrictions, were habitual offenders engaged in unauthorized distribution of copyrighted films. To ensure compliance, the court also arrayed DNRs like Namecheap, Cloudflare, Dynadot, Tucows, Porkbun, and ISPs such as BSNL and MTNL, as well as the Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Significantly, the order empowers Jiostar to notify authorities of any newly discovered rogue websites even after the release. Once informed, ISPs and government bodies must immediately block such websites “on a real-time basis without undue delay.” This approach reflects the judiciary’s recognition of the rapidly evolving tactics of piracy networks, which often shift domains to circumvent earlier injunctions.
The court observed that piracy posed a recurring threat and could severely undermine investments made by producers. Justice Karia noted that immediate preventive action was crucial, particularly since Jolly LLB 3 was slated for release within a week. He emphasized that “any delay in blocking access to websites…could lead to financial losses for the Plaintiff, and an irreparable breach of their Copyright.”
The judge further drew reference to earlier “Dynamic+ injunctions” passed in cases involving Star India and Universal Studios, but clarified that the present case is unique as it pre-emptively shields a Bollywood film before release.
In a parallel development, the Karnataka High Court on Thursday rejected a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought to halt the release and screening of Jolly LLB 3, slated to hit theatres on September 19. The division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Joshi dismissed the plea filed by Syeda Neelufur, while imposing a cost of ₹50,000 on the petitioner for what it termed an unwarranted misuse of judicial time.
The court further directed that the amount be deposited with the registry, warning that if the payment is not made, the matter will be relisted on October 4 for coercive action against the petitioner.
The Delhi High Court order is expected to set a precedent for Indian film producers, who have long battled piracy losses running into hundreds of crores. By enabling real-time domain blocking and obligating registrars and ISPs to disclose details of offenders, the ruling strengthens enforcement against online piracy.
With Jolly LLB 3 being the first Bollywood film to secure such judicial protection, industry stakeholders see this as a breakthrough moment that could reshape anti-piracy strategies for future big-ticket releases.
