WhatsApp, Telegram restrained by Delhi HC from illegally circulating TOI e-paper
The court upheld BCCL's plea, stating that the practice amounted to copyright infringement
The Delhi High Court has prohibited messaging platforms WhatsApp and Telegram from illegally sharing e-papers of Times of India and Navbharat Times.
The HC has also pulled up the administrators of the groups and restrained them from circulating the papers.
BCCL had filed a plea saying that sharing the e-papers amounted to copyright infringement. Justice Jayant Nath who presided over the matter backed the plaintiff, favourably granting the group ad-interim injunction.
Nath censured the illegal practice by saying that the platforms were defying various measures taken by BCCL under the garb of providing online services.
Since the first lockdown in 2020, many who downloaded the e-papers were circulating them illegally in WhatsApp and Telegram groups, which violates the copyright law.
BCCL pointed out that despite serving a notice to WhatsApp, the illegal circulation of the papers continued.
