Eateries and pubs restrained from showing ICC World Cup T20 matches by Delhi High Court

England line up for the national anthem ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 group 1 match between England and New Zealand at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on March 22, 2014 in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

The Delhi High Court today ruled against the telecast of the 2014 ICC T20 World Cup matches at the pubs and restaurants in a number of cities including that of the national capital without the approval of the Star India Pvt Ltd., the official broadcasting channel of the tournament being held at Bangladesh.

In response to the Star India’s appeal to the Court that had requested for stopping the telecast of the matches, as it breaches their copyright, the court’s statement read:

“Issue notice of this application to defendants for the aforesaid date and it is ordered that till further orders the defendants (except defendant 45 who is the copyright owner), as also all other persons who are unknown at present but are found to be similarly infringing the copyright in the cinematograph film of ongoing ICC T2O WC matches.

“Are hereby restrained from, in any manner, exhibiting, communicating to the public, making available for viewing and/or publicly performing the ICC T20 WC matches, without obtaining a licence from the plaintiffs (Star India and others), in establishments such as pubs, bars, restaurants and other public places where matches are made available for public viewing.”

Cafes, bars, pubs, restaurants and similar establishments do it as a practice to boost their sales by attracting more visitors, and this interim stay on doing so could have come down as a hammer blow to their prospects.