High Court
Kolkata HC clears Sahara’s ‘Karishma…’, Bradford files appeal in SC
MUMBAI: It’s retribution time for the Subrata Roy owned Sahara TV. After a long drawn legal battle with American author Barbara Taylor Bradford, Sahara has finally won the Karishma – The Miracles of Destiny case.
In a judgment this morning, the Kolkata high court on Monday allowed telecast of Sahara Entertainment’s serial, dismissing an appeal by Bradford, who had claimed the series was a plagiarised version of her novel A Woman of Substance, the Press Trust of India has reported. However, the American author promptly filed an appeal in the Supreme Court.
“We have already filed our appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the high court verdict” delivered earlier in the day, Taylor’s counsel Som Mandal told PTI in Delhi on Monday evening. Taylor has sought a stay on the clearance given to Sahara TV to go ahead with telecast of the serial.
Sahara had aired the first episode of the serial at 9.30 pm on 12 May, but had to discontinue it from the next day as the court blocked telecast of the series following Bradford’s petition. Massive hoardings still dot the metros, displaying the lead characters in the serial, who range from Bollywood actors Karisma Kapoor, Arbaaz Khan, Sanjay Kapoor and Arshad Warsi.
BRADFORD DIRECTED TO PAY DAMAGES
A division bench comprising Justice AN Ray and Justice J Banerjee also directed the American author to pay damages for the delay in the telecast of the serial as well as the cost of litigation, reports PTI.
According to sources close to the production company, Sahara will however not telecast the serial in a hurry. There will be a fresh round of on air promos and teaser campaigns before a re-launch date is finalised for the ‘biggest television series ever’. The channel had gone in for a massive promo blitz in the first week of May, including painting local Mumbai trains with the Karishma… hoardings and tying up with major stores in cities.
The Kolkata High Court, which had earlier this month, given a go ahead to Sahara but withdrew it on an appeal from Bradford, went through all available footage of the serial as well as Bradford’s novel before announcing its verdict today.
High Court
Delhi HC blocks illegal IPL 2026 streams, backs JioStar rights
Court orders swift takedowns, expands crackdown on piracy apps
NEW DELHI: In a timely move ahead of the cricketing season, the Delhi High Court has granted interim relief to JioStar India Private Limited, clamping down on illegal streaming of the TATA Indian Premier League 2026.
The court passed ex parte ad interim injunctions in two separate suits, restraining rogue websites and mobile applications from broadcasting IPL matches without authorisation. The tournament is set to begin on 28 March, making the timing of the order particularly significant.
Recognising JioStar’s exclusive digital and broadcast rights for the IPL cycle from 2023 to 2027, the court observed that unauthorised streaming would infringe its statutory and proprietary rights, potentially causing irreparable losses.
In one case, the court directed several identified websites to immediately stop hosting or streaming IPL content. It also issued a dynamic injunction, allowing JioStar to flag new infringing platforms in real time, which must then be blocked swiftly by domain registrars and internet service providers.
In a parallel order, the court turned its attention to piracy through mobile apps, particularly Android-based platforms distributing content via APK files. A broader dynamic+ injunction was granted, extending to future variants, mirror links and related interfaces, signalling a tougher stance on evolving piracy tactics.
The court also directed domain name registrars to suspend offending domains and share registrant details, including KYC and payment information. Internet service providers and telecom operators have been instructed to block access within strict timelines, in some instances within 36 hours. Both the Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology have been asked to facilitate enforcement through necessary notifications.
Noting the fast-changing nature of digital piracy, the court emphasised the need for real-time enforcement tools to keep pace with anonymous and constantly shifting networks. It also underlined the commercial impact of piracy on legitimate rights holders.
The ruling reinforces the judiciary’s firm stance on protecting intellectual property in the digital age. For viewers, it is a reminder to stick to official platforms as the IPL season kicks off under tighter watch.
