- By Swati Singh
- Tue, 06 Jan 2026 08:53 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Delhi High Court has issued an order restraining a large number of websites from illegally streaming and broadcasting popular films and television shows, including Friends, Stranger Things, Squid Game and Wonder Woman. The court directed that these websites be blocked, citing violations of intellectual property rights and unauthorised distribution of copyrighted content.
Justice Tejas Karia passed the order against more than 160 websites following a plea filed by Warner Bros Entertainment Inc. In its petition, the studio stated that it is the author, owner or exclusive distributor of the concerned films and series in India, and therefore entitled to protection under intellectual property laws. The court acknowledged the rights holder’s claims and granted relief to curb piracy and prevent further unauthorised exploitation of the content.
The court noted, "Defendant Nos. 1 to 47 , its owners, partners... are restrained from, in any manner hosting, streaming, reproducing, distributing, making available to the public and/or communicating to the public, or facilitating the same on their websites through the internet in any manner whatsoever, the Plaintiffs' Copyrighted Works, i.e., cinematographic work/content/programme/show in relation to which Plaintiffs have copyright or exclusive distribution rights/and or any other right," said the court in its order dated December 18, 2025."
Warner Bros Entertainment Inc informed the court that the infringing websites were actively engaged in online piracy by illegally offering access to its copyrighted films and television content. The studio said these platforms allowed users to stream and download protected titles such as Friends, Stranger Things (Seasons 1–4), Squid Game (Season 1), Finding Dory, The Jungle Book, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, A Star Is Born and The Conjuring 2 without authorisation, causing significant infringement of its intellectual property rights.
Taking note of the hydra-headed nature of such piracy websites, the court observed that even if one platform is blocked, several mirror or substitute websites often emerge almost immediately. To address this challenge, the court granted a dynamic injunction, aimed at preventing the imminent possibility of the copyrighted content being uploaded on existing infringing websites or their newer versions, thereby offering stronger and more effective protection against ongoing piracy.