A day ahead of its release, the Delhi High Court on Thursday restrained websites from downloading, showing or providing online access, without permission, to Bollywood crime drama Bombay Velvet, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma.
Justice Indermeet Kaur said the movie’s producers, Fox Star Studios India Ltd and Phantom Films, have “made out a prima facie case” for grant of ex-parte ad-interim injunction.
The court also said if no such order was granted, then “irreparable” financial damage would be caused to the producers of the movie.
“A prima facie case is made out in favour of plaintiffs (Fox and Phantom). Irreparable loss will be suffered by them in case ad-interim ex-parte injunction is not granted.
“Accordingly, till next date of hearing defendants, their partners, proprietors, directors, agents and other known and unknown parties, are restrained from hosting, streaming, making available for viewing, downloading, providing access to… or sharing without authorisation on their website, in any manner, the film Bombay Velvet…,”the court said.
It directed internet service providers (ISPs) to “block access” to any unlicensed content of the film on infringing websites when the plaintiffs give notice of such activity.
It also ordered the departments of Telecommunications (DoT) and Electronics and Information Technology (DEIT) to ensure compliance by ISPs by issuing necessary notification.
The court also issued notices to all the defendants in the suit, including the websites, ISPs and government departments, and sought their replies before the next date of hearing on September 9.
It passed the order on the producers’ plea, filed through Saikrishna and Associates, alleging that “rampant piracy” was happening on the internet and new movies were being copied and provided online even prior to their release.
Senior advocate Rajiv Nayar, appearing for the producers, argued that the “mischief” usually occurs while the film was being transported/distributed to the various cinema halls.
The order was passed on the plea of the producers against Macpuler William, who owns some video-sharing websites, as well as various other such sites, seeking court’s direction for restraining them from showing or providing online access to the film.
The film, directed and co-produced by Anurag Kashyap and also starring Karan Johar, is based on historian Gyan Prakash’s book “Mumbai Fables” and is set in Bombay of the 1960s.
Scheduled for release tomorrow, “Bombay Velvet” tells the story of boxer Johnny Balraj (Ranbir) and aspiring jazz singer Rosie (Anushka) and how their hopes and dreams collide with their individual realities.
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