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The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, are mostly held without spectators, but the reach of global television will ensure that they will be watched around the world. With the help of a High Court order, Sony Pictures wants to ensure that viewers in India enjoy games without resorting to illegal streaming platforms.
After the massive preparations that were thrown into confusion due to the global pandemic, this Friday the Tokyo 2020 Olympics The opening ceremony will finally begin.
For just over two weeks, the sports action will take place largely without viewers, but a global audience of billions is ready to watch the show on television and through numerous streaming services.
In India, Sony Pictures has the exclusive rights to stream the games and, with the help of the court, wants to make sure that people don't turn to unlicensed platforms.
Sony's Preventive Legal Action
According to an application filed with the Delhi High Court, Sony Pictures owns the Sony Ten network of channels, including Sony TEN 1, Sony TEN 1 HD, Sony TEN 2, Sony TEN 2 HD, Sony TEN 3, Sony TEN 3 HD. , Sony TEN 4, Sony TEN 4 HD, Sony SIX, Sony SIX HD.
The company acquired the exclusive rights from the International Olympic Committee to broadcast the games in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and the Maldives. However, Sony has reason to believe that the games will be illegally streamed through dozens of unlicensed websites and wants to avoid this whenever possible.
Representing Sony Pictures, attorney Abhishek Malhotra told the Court that more than 40 websites and more than 30 cable and multi-system operators are likely to be involved in the distribution of pirated content, so they should be restricted, especially since these entities have been involved in similar situations in the past.
Interim ex parte order of the Supreme Court
In his introductions, Malhotra said that a case involving torrent site 1337x.to It set the parameters for a 'fraudulent website', noting that 47 websites listed in the order fit that description and can therefore be blocked.
In its provisional order issued on July 19, the Court appears to agree with this characterization.
The judge prevented the first 47 defendants (only Yallashootextra.com is specifically mentioned) "from hosting, simplifying [sic], reproduce, distribute, make available to the public and / or communicate to the public or facilitate the same on their websites through the Internet in any way, any work, content, program and film show or event over which the plaintiffs have rights From author. "
The court order also covers the possibility that mirror or proxy sites appear to circumvent the ban. These are also included preventively, although they may not currently exist. In addition, 30 service providers are ordered to block access to the 47 'fraudulent' websites, including mirrors or proxies that they may implement to help users gain access.
Order to stay in place until September
The ex-part The provisional order issued on Monday will remain in effect until September 29, the date on which the next hearing in the case is scheduled. By then, the 2020 Olympics will be over, but considering that the court order now in effect covers all Sony content, there may be issues that still need to be resolved.
The order of the Delhi High Court can be found here (pdf)
