Case Law Details
Mythri Movie Makers Vs X Corp (CCH XXXXV Addl. City Civil And Sessions Judge)
KSK secures interim injunction protecting upcoming film against defamatory content
King Stubb & Kasiva (KSK) has successfully secured an ex parte interim injunction on behalf of its client, Mythri Movie Makers, before the Hon’ble City Civil and Sessions Court, Bengaluru, in a significant matter concerning protection against defamatory and malicious content relating to the upcoming film Ustaad Bhagat Singh.
The Hon’ble Court, after hearing the Plaintiff and perusing the pleadings and documents on record, was pleased to grant an ex parte temporary injunction restraining the defendants, including X Corp, YouTube LLC, Google India Private Limited, BigTree Entertainment Pvt Ltd, IMDb.com Inc., and Meta Platforms Inc., from telecasting, transmitting, publishing, or distributing any false, malicious, defamatory, or derogatory content concerning the film.
The Court observed that the Plaintiff had established a prima facie case, and that the balance of convenience lay in its favour. It further held that in the absence of interim protection, the Plaintiff would suffer irreparable harm, thereby justifying urgent relief. The Court also recognized the applicability of “John Doe” principles against unknown parties, reinforcing the Plaintiff’s right to safeguard its interests against anonymous or unidentified actors.
The matter was argued by Mr. Navod Prasannan (Partner), who led the proceedings on behalf of the Plaintiff. The KSK team advising on the matter comprised Mr. Navod Prasannan (Partner), Mr. Rahul Mehta (Partner), Mr. Arpit Choudhury (Partner), Mr. Atul Menon (Partner), Mr. Krunal Mehta (Associate Partner), Mr. Naren Shetty (Senior Associate), Ms. Mehak Chaichani (Associate), and Ms. Akalya Ravichandran (Associate).
This order marks an important step in protecting creative works from premature and potentially damaging content dissemination, particularly in the digital ecosystem.
The matter is next listed for further hearing on April 27, 2026.
FULL TEXT OF THE ORDER OF CCH36 XXXV ADDL. CITY CIVIL AND SESSIONS JUDGE
Heard Advocate for plaintiff perused the plaint, IA No. 1 and documents filed with the suit. The plaintiff has filed the suit for permanent injunction. The plaintiff has filed I.A. No. 1 under Order 39 Rule 1& 2 of CPC seeking exparte temporary injunction order against defendants etc restraining them from telecasting, transmitting, publishing , distributing, sharing any material in any permanent, transient, audio format in any kind of media anything false malicious , defamatory, derogatory, news concerning to film “Ustaad Bhagat Singh” either prior or after its release. The defendant No.9 is shown as John Doe @ Ashok Kumar. In judgment of Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka in MFA 806/2022 in Meera Ajith Vs John Doe @ Ashok Kumar, wherein the court ruled that an injunction could be granted against unknown persons if there is a genuine threat to the plaintiff and a prima facie case is made out. The court emphasized that the right to anonymous actions (in this context, illegal interference) is not absolute and can be overridden by the need to protect a person’s property rights. This case is a notable example in Indian law regarding the application of John Doe orders for property protection, not just intellectual property matters. On perusal of all the documents produced by the plaintiff , I found that there is a prima facie case in favor of the plaintiff , the balance of convenience lies in favor of plaintiff. If the T.I is not granted the very purpose of filing this suit will be defeated and it may amounts to multiplicity of proceedings. Therefore, without allowing the IA No. 1 as interim measure for the limited period T.I can be granted on certain conditions. Hence, Issue exparte temporary injunction order against defendants etc restraining them from telecasting, transmitting, publishing , distributing, sharing any material in any permanent, transient, audio format in any kind of media anything false malicious , defamatory, derogatory, news concerning to film “Ustaad Bhagat Singh” prior its theatrical release. This temporary injunction Order shall remain in force only till next date of hearing, the plaintiff shall comply Order 39 Rule 3 A of CPC immediately. The plaintiff shall furnish sufficient numbers of copies of plaint, documents and IA, plaintiff shall pay the adequate process fee for service of summons and T.I Order to the defendants. The plaintiff shall cooperate with the Court to dispose of the IA No. 1 within 30 days of appearance of any one of the defendants. This order cannot be used for any other purpose except for which it is granted. If the plaintiff fails to abide by conditions imposed above, the T.I granted shall stands vacated without any further notice. Office is directed not to issue ertified copy of order sheet till compliance of above paras. Issue temporary injunction order to defendants, notice of IA No. 1 and suit summons to the defendants by court and by speed post. Call on 27-04-2026.
Author Bio
