Madras High Court

Viacom 18 Media Private Limited vs Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited on 8 February, 2022

                                                                           C.S.(Comm)No.109 of 2021



                                  IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
                                                DATED: 08.02.2022
                                                      CORAM:
                        THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE SENTHILKUMAR RAMAMOORTHY
                                          C.S.(Comm.Div.).No.109 of 2021
                                                      and
                                          OA.Nos.778, 780 & 781 of 2021

                     1.

Viacom 18 Media Private Limited, Shyamala Towers, Fifth Floor, 136, Abhusali Street, Saligramam, Chennai – 6000093, rep. By its Special Power of Attorney Holder, Mr.Vinit Chandra Sharma

2.Endemol Shine IP BV, MediArena 2, 1114 BC, Amsterdam – Duivendrecht, The Netherlands, rep. By its Special Power of Attorney Holder, Mr.Abhishek Rege ...Plaintiffs

Vs.

1.Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Bharat Sanchar Bhavan, Harish Chandra Mathur Lane, Janpath, New Delhi – 110 001.

2.Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd., 5th Floor, Mahanagar Doorsanchar Sadan, 9, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi – 110003.

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis C.S.(Comm)No.109 of 2021

3.Bharti Airtel Limited, Bharti Crescent, 1, Nelson Mandela Road, Vasant Kunj, Phase II, New Delhi – 110 070.

4.Aircel Cellular Limited, 5th Floor, Spencer Plaza, 769, Anna Salai, Chennai – 600002.

5.Tata Communication Limited, 10th Floor, Tower I, Jeevan Bharati, 124 Connaught Circus, New Delhi – 110001.

6.Vodafone India Limited, Suman Tower, Plot No.18, Sector 11, Gandhinagar, Gujarat – 382011.

7.Idea Cellular Limited, Suman Tower, Plot No.18, Sector 11, Gandhinagar, Gujarat – 382 011.

8.Siliguri Internet & Cable TV Pvt. Ltd., 7, Dinabandhu Mitra Sarani, Subhash Pally, Siliguri – 734001.

9.Tata Teleservices Ltd, 2A, Old Ishwar Nagar, Main Mathura Road, New Delhi – 110065.

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis C.S.(Comm)No.109 of 2021

10.Syscon Infoway Pvt. Ltd., A4, Borivali Neelkamal Co-op. Society, Road No.10, Daulat Nagar, Borivali East, Mumbai 400066.

11.Tikona Digital Networks Private Limited, 3A, 3rd Floor, 'Corpora', L.B.S.Marg, Bhandup (West), Mumbai – 400 078.

12.You Broadband & Cable India Ltd., Plot No.54, Marol Industrial Co-operative Area, Off. Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri (East), Mumbai – 400059.

13.Sify Technologies Limited, 2nd Floor, “TIDEL PARK”, No.4, Canal Bank Road, Chennai – 600 113.

14.Siti Broadband Services Pvt. Ltd., B-10, Lawrence Road, Industrial Area, New Delhi North West, DL 110035 IN

15.Asianet Satellite Communications, 2A, II Floor, Leela Infopark, Technopark Limited, Kazhakkoottam, Thiruvananthapuram , Kerela – 695581.

16.Data Infosys Limited, Station Road, Durgapura,

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis C.S.(Comm)No.109 of 2021

Jaipur – 302019.

17.Readylink Internet Services Limited, Galaxy, Plot No.7, Sakhthi Colony, RK Puram, Ganpathy, Coimbatore – 641006.

18.Opto Network Private Limited, B-86, Sector – 14, Noida- 201301, Uttar Pradesh – India.

19.Nettlinx Limited, 5-9-22, 3rd Floor, My Home Sarovar Plaza, Secretariat Road, Saifabad, Hyderabad – 500004.

20.City Online Services Limited, 701, 7th Floor, Aditya Trade Center, Ameerpet, Hyderabad – 500 038.

21.Pioneer eLabs Limited, Pioneer Towers, 7th Floor, Plot NO.16, Survey No.64, Software Unit Layout, APIIk, i-Tech City, Madhapur, Hyderabad – 500080.

22.AT &T Global Network Service India Pvt. Ltd., 13th Floor, 1305-06, Mohan Dev House, 13, Tolstoy Marg, New Delhi – 110 001.

23.Nextgen Communications Limited,

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis C.S.(Comm)No.109 of 2021

Thachil Complex, No.10, 3rd Floor, Raja Annamalai Road, Saibaba Mission Post, Coimbatore – 641011, Tamilnadu, India.

24.Virgo Global Media Limited, Plot No.5, Mithil Nagar, Road No.10, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad – 500 034.

25.Southern Online Bio Technologies Limited, Flat No.A3, 3rd Floor, Office Block, Samrat Complex, Saifabad, Hyderabad – 500004.

26.MyNet Services India Private Limited, #12, I Floor, IV cross, Gandhipuram, Pallipalayam, Erode – 638006.

27.Digital Network Associates Pvt. Ltd., 1st Floor, Shop No.14, Rooprajat Nagar, Opp-Cidco Colony, Boisar-Tarapur Road, Boisar – West, Palghar – 401501.

28.Limras Eronet Broadband Services Private Limited, Doshi Towers, First Floor, #156, Poonamalle High Road, Kilpauk, Chennai – 600 010.

29.RS Broadband Service India Private Limited, No.18/7, First Floor, Postal Colony 2nd Street, West Mambalam, Chennai – 600033, Tamil Nadu.

30.Spectra ISP Networks Pvt. Ltd., Plot No.21-22, 3rd Floor, Udyog Vihar, Phase – IV, Gurgaon – 122 015.

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31.Pulse Telesystems Private Limited, 51/52, Real Towers, 3rd Floor, Royapettah High Road, Mylapore, Chennai – 600004.

32.Essel Shyam Communications Ltd., 1121, Hemkunt Chambers, 11th Floor, 89, Nehru Place, New Delhi – 110019, India.

33.Five Network Solution (I) Ltd., 22/2, Plot No.275-B, Gurunanak School Compound, Sion (West), Mumbai – 400022, India.

34.Action Lane, No.16, No 1A Kalpana Apartments, 1st Street, Above Padmanaba Nagar Electricity Board, Adyar, Chennai – 600020.

35.Jak Communications Pvt. Ltd., No.4, J Block, Near 6th Avenue, Anna Nagar East, Chennai – 600102.

36.C32 Cable Net Pvt. Ltd., Old No.284, New No.204, Shanmugam Salai, Royapettah, Chennai – 600 014.

37.Thamizhaga Cable TV Communications Pvt. Ltd., No.9 A/5, Club Road, Near Mittai Shop, Chetpet, Chennai – 600031.

38.Thiru Nagar Satellite Vision Pvt. Ltd., No.149 / 80, Vijaya Theatre Complex, Behind Kasi Theatre, Pillaiyar Koil Street,

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis C.S.(Comm)No.109 of 2021

Jafferkhanpet, Chennai – 600083.

39.Ashok Kumar

40.Ashok Kumar

41.Ashok Kumar

42.Ashok Kumar

43.Ashok Kumar

44.Ashok Kumar

45.Ashok Kumar ...Defendants

Prayer: Plaint filed under Order VII Rule 1 of CPC., 190 and Order IV Rule 1 of O.S.Rules, 1956 r/w. Sections 51, 52, 55 and 62(1) of the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012 and Section 7 of the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Act, No 4 of 2016, praying as follows:-

a) A permanent injunction restraining the Defendants 1 to 3 and any other person or entity infringing the Television program “Big Boss – Season 15” and said Work be directed to block all websites / web pages including websites mentioned in Schedule -A hosting contents that relate to Plaintiffs' copyright protected Television program “Big Boss-Season 15” in any manner, thereby restraining the unauthorised copying, transmission, communication or make available or display or release or show or upload or download or exhibit or play and / or in any manner communicate in and / or through their services immediate of receipt of details of such infringing websites / webpages in writing;

b) a permanent injunction restraining the defendants 34-38 and any other person or entity infringing the Television program “Big Boss –

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis C.S.(Comm)No.109 of 2021

Season 15” and said Work by themselves, their partners/proprietor/directors, heirs, representatives, successors in business, assigns, distributors, agents, servants or anyone claiming through them or under them from infringing the Plaintiffs' copyrighted Television program “Big Boss – Season 15” and said Work by copying, recording, reproducing or allowing camcording or allowing others to transmit, communicate or make available or distributing or duplicating or displaying or releasing or showing or uploading or downloading or exhibiting or playing and / or in any manner whatsoever from communicating the Television program “Big Boss – Season 15” and said Work without a proper license from the Plaintiffs or in any other manner which would violate / infringe the Plaintiffs' copyrighted Television program “Bigg Boss – Section 15” and said Work through different mediums including but not limited to CD, DVD, Blu-ray disc, VCD, Cable TV, Directo to home services, interenet services, multimedia messaging services, pen drives, hard drives, tapes, DAS, satellite, Conditional Access Systems or in any other medium / manner whatsoever;

c) a permanent injunction restraining the Defendants 39-45 and any other person or entity infringing the TV Program and said Work “Bigg Boss Season 15” by themselves, their partners/ proprietor / directors, heirs, representatives, successors in business, assigns, distributors, agents, servants or any one claiming through them or under them from infringing the Plaintiffs' copyrighted TV program Bigg Boss Season 15 by copying, recording, reproducing or allowing camcording or allowing others to

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis C.S.(Comm)No.109 of 2021

transmit, communicate or make available or distributing or duplicating or displaying or releasing or showing or uploading or downloading or exhibiting or playing and / or in any manner whatsoever from communicating the said Film and said Work without a proper license from the Plaintiffs or in any other manner which would violate / infringe the Plaintiffs copyrighted TV program Bigg Boss Season 15 through different mediums including but not limited to CD, DVD, Blu-ray disc, VCD, Cable TV, Direct to home services, internet services, multimedia messaging services, pen drives, hard drives, tapes, DAS, satellite, Conditional Access Systems or in any other medium / manner whatsoever

d) for costs of the suit; and

e) pass such further or other orders as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and proper in the circumstances of the case and thereby render justice.

For Plaintiffs : Mr.N.Ramkumar for Mr.Arun C.Mohan

JUDGMENT

Learned counsel for the plaintiff seeks permission to withdraw the

suit. An endorsement to such effect has been made. Accordingly,

C.S.(Comm. Div.)No.109 of 2021 is dismissed as withdrawn. There will be

no order as to costs. Consequently, connected applications are closed.

08.02.2022

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis C.S.(Comm)No.109 of 2021

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