A major strike against online piracy took place recently as the Delhi High Court issued a powerful global injunction backed by an anti-piracy coalition led by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE). Members include global streaming giants Netflix, Disney, Crunchyroll, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, SBS Korea, and CJ ENM, among others.
Fresh Crackdown Targets Large Piracy Networks
The court order targets expansive piracy networks, reportedly used by popular anime streaming sites and other streaming platforms. Earlier crackdowns in September blocked around 250 domains linked to piracy sites like AnimesHeaven and AnimeKai. Now, ACE and MPA’s attention shifts to “Piracy-as-a-Service” platforms such as VidSrc, which help hosts and streamers distribute pirated content globally.
With VidSrc reportedly shifting operations to Russia to avoid enforcement, the court empowered Indian ISPs to block any mirror or replacement domains, keeping pace with constantly morphing “hydra” piracy sites like HydraHD, Broflix, and Alienflix.
Global and Local Enforcement
This injunction has global implications, allowing Indian internet service providers to block related domains dynamically, while directing global registrars to remove them within 72 hours following notification from Indian creatives.
The Delhi High Court’s decisive stance reflects growing judicial support to protect copyright holders, amid a booming streaming market in India and worldwide. This comes on the heels of similar court orders against sites like Aniwatch last year, signaling serious intent to curb piracy effectively.
The injunction aims to protect creative industries from the significant economic damage caused by piracy to the Indian media sector. It introduces a “dynamic+” mechanism to swiftly block newly discovered infringing websites in real-time without the need for fresh legal proceedings.
