The Maharashtra Police’s Cyber Digital Crime Unit (MCDCU) has made a significant arrest in connection with Viacom18’s legal battle against FairPlay India for allegedly infringing on the intellectual property rights (IPRs) related to the Indian Premier League (IPL). Gulam Abbas Muni, a key figure associated with FairPlay, was arrested on December 12 following a criminal complaint filed by Viacom18.
Viacom18, backed by Reliance, accused FairPlay, its owners, and distributors of copyright infringement, criminal conspiracy, cheating, and other offenses related to the unlawful streaming of IPL matches on the betting platform. The complaint also named two other accused individuals, Penny and Joe.
Muni was produced before a court on the same day as his arrest and has been remanded to police custody until the next unspecified date of the hearing.
The legal battle traces back to Viacom18 securing digital rights from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for streaming IPL matches. The company’s OTT platform, JioCinema, announced last year that it would stream IPL 2023 matches for free. FairPlay allegedly capitalized on the tournament by pushing ads and putting up hoardings in major cities, associating itself with the event and using taglines such as ‘Watch IPL for Free, LIVE.’
Viacom18 took legal action and approached the Madras High Court, which granted a pre-infringement injunction against FairPlay in April. The injunction barred FairPlay from unauthorized streaming of IPL 2023 matches on its website, including any associated advertisements.
Prior to this, in December 2022, the High Court had passed an order restraining over 4,750 websites, internet service providers (ISPs), and other unknown parties from streaming content that violated Viacom18’s IPL rights. Following these legal actions, Viacom18 filed a criminal complaint with the MCDCU, leading to the recent arrest of Gulam Abbas Muni.
Commenting on the arrest, Viacom18’s General Counsel, Anil Lale, emphasized the importance of prompt action in such cases, highlighting the financial and reputational damage caused. The company is committed to proactive legal measures to combat infringement and piracy.
