Delhi HC allows Star India to instantly block pirated apps and websites

In a major development against online piracy, the Delhi High Court has granted a unique legal order known as a “superlative injunction” in favour of broadcaster Star India. This new order allows Star India to instantly block unauthorized mobile apps that stream its content illegally — a step beyond the traditional approach that focused only on websites.

Justice Saurabh Banerjee issued the order on May 29, saying the “superlative injunction” gives Star India the power to take immediate action against newly discovered piracy platforms without having to return to court each time.

The case involves Star India’s complaint against “IPTV Smarters” and other unknown platforms that were illegally streaming live sports content, including the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the upcoming England Tour of India in 2025.

Earlier, on February 10, the court had already granted a temporary order blocking several rogue websites. However, Star India later identified 16 new websites and three mobile apps also involved in piracy. The broadcaster argued that the delays in legal processes risk serious financial loss, especially during live sports events where pirated streams spread quickly.

The court agreed, recognizing that online pirates often create new websites or app versions to avoid being shut down. It said there’s no reason to limit anti-piracy measures only to websites.

“There is no harm in giving the same blocking powers for rogue mobile apps as we do for rogue websites,” the court said.

As part of the order:

1) Domain name registrars must suspend infringing websites.

2) Internet service providers must block access in real time when Star India reports piracy.

3) The platforms involved must also reveal the names, contact details, and payment information of the people behind the piracy.

This new legal approach will stay in effect until July 3. The court also clarified that no extra notices need to be served for these new measures to take effect.

This is the first time an Indian court has used and defined a “superlative injunction” — a stronger version of the existing “dynamic+ injunction” — to fight digital piracy across both websites and mobile applications.