Piracy has landed several websites in legal trouble, with the Delhi High Court stepping in to block illegal streaming of popular films and series such as Friends, Stranger Things, Squid Game and Wonder Woman. In an interim order, the court restrained more than 160 websites from unlawfully broadcasting content from popular shows and also directed that access to these websites be blocked.
The order was passed by Justice Tejas Karia on a plea filed by Warner Bros Entertainment Inc, which said it is the author, owner or exclusive distributor of the films and shows in India, and therefore entitled to protection under intellectual property laws.
Court finds prima facie case of piracy
While granting the interim relief, the court observed that Warner Bros had made out a prima facie case. It said that if immediate action was not taken, the studio would suffer irreparable injury and significant financial losses.
In its order dated December 18, 2025, the court restrained Defendant Nos. 1 to 47, described as infringing entities, along with their owners and partners, from hosting, streaming, reproducing, distributing or making available any of the plaintiff’s copyrighted content. The restraint also applies to facilitating such activity through the internet in any manner.
Warner Bros told the court that these websites were indulging in online piracy by offering illegal access and downloads of its content. This included shows and films such as Friends, Stranger Things Seasons 1 to 4, Squid Game Season 1, Finding Dory, The Jungle Book, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, A Star Is Born and The Conjuring 2, as per a PTI report.
Court directs domain name registrars to lock and suspend infringing websites
Taking note of what it described as the “hydra-headed nature” of piracy websites, the court granted a “dynamic plus injunction”. This was aimed at addressing the risk of the copyrighted content being uploaded again, either on the same platforms or on newly created mirror websites.
The court also directed domain name registrars to lock and suspend the infringing websites. They have been asked to submit complete subscriber details of the website owners or operators, including names, addresses, contact details, email IDs, bank information and IP logs. This information must be filed in a sealed cover or password-protected document within four weeks.
Internet service providers have also been instructed to block access to the infringing websites, tightening the net against illegal online streaming and downloads.
Also read: Why Stranger Things fans think Season 5 didn’t really end; the Conformity Gate theory explained
