UEFA wins piracy blocking order in India forcing ISPs to cut illegal streams
The article reports that UEFA has won a major anti piracy court ruling in India aimed at stopping illegal streaming of the UEFA Champions League. The decision was issued by the Delhi High Court, which granted UEFA a copyright enforcement order requiring internet service providers to block pirate streaming websites.
The ruling targets 79 domains that were illegally streaming Champions League matches, which together were estimated to receive about two billion visits each year. The court ordered Indian ISPs to block access to these websites and also instructed domain registrars to suspend or lock the domains involved in the piracy network.
A key feature of the decision is the use of “dynamic blocking.” Traditional blocking orders usually apply only to a fixed list of websites, allowing piracy operators to quickly reappear using new domain names. Under the new order, UEFA can notify authorities about mirror or proxy sites that appear later, and these can be blocked without needing a new court ruling each time.
The order was obtained with the support of the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) and UEFA’s commercial rights partner UC3, reflecting a coordinated effort to protect broadcasting rights for European football competitions.
The measures will be implemented through internet service providers and domain-level intermediaries, and in some cases may involve global domain suspension mechanisms. Because many domain registrars operate internationally, suspending a domain could make certain piracy sites inaccessible worldwide, not only in India.
UEFA argues that piracy causes significant financial harm to football because it reduces the value of broadcasting rights agreements that fund clubs and competitions. Officials say stronger enforcement is necessary to protect legitimate broadcasters and maintain revenue that supports the sport’s ecosystem.
Overall, the ruling represents a significant step in UEFA’s global anti piracy strategy, especially in large digital markets like India where illegal sports streaming is widespread. The dynamic blocking approach is intended to respond quickly to the constantly changing network of piracy sites.
