Madras High Court orders piracy blocks for Batwara 1947

MUMBAI: For Batwara 1947, the battle is not staying confined to the big screen. The Madras High Court has granted Aamir Khan Productions an interim anti-piracy injunction for its newly released partition drama, directing internet service providers (ISPs) to block websites carrying unauthorised copies of the film, according to Bar and Bench.

Justice K. Surender passed the order on 14 August, observing that the production house could suffer irreversible harm if illegal broadcasts and pirated distribution were allowed to continue during the film’s theatrical run.

The court has issued notices to the internet and telecom service providers named in the proceedings and sought their responses. The interim protection will remain in force until 11 September, when the case is scheduled to be heard next.

The injunction casts a wide net over piracy. It restrains the unauthorised copying, transmission, communication, uploading, downloading, exhibition and distribution of Batwara 1947 across digital as well as traditional channels.

ISPs have also been directed to block existing and future websites found hosting pirated versions of the film, an attempt to keep the order relevant even as illegal copies migrate to new domains.

The protection extends beyond websites to unauthorised distribution through CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, cable television, direct-to-home services, internet platforms, multimedia messaging services, hard drives, pen drives and other formats.

Aamir Khan Productions relied on the film’s Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) certificate to establish its copyright claim. The court accepted the certificate as sufficient to establish a prima facie case of ownership at this stage.

The order, however, comes with a safeguard for legitimate businesses. Justice Surender acknowledged that a broad blocking direction could potentially affect lawful operations of some respondents and made the relief conditional on Aamir Khan Productions indemnifying respondents against losses caused to legitimate business activities.

Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, Batwara 1947 stars Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta and Shabana Azmi and arrived in cinemas on 14 August. The producers approached the court seeking protection against piracy around the film’s theatrical release.

With opening weekends increasingly vulnerable to illegal copies spreading online, the injunction gives Batwara 1947 a legal firewall although keeping pirates behind it will remain the bigger test.