- India shifted piracy enforcement from blocking access to freezing domains
- Registrars now face court orders alongside internet providers
- Domain suspensions prevent quick relaunch under identical web addresses
For years, anti-piracy enforcement in India relied largely on instructing local internet providers to block access to specific websites.
Those measures often resulted in limited impact, as operators could switch domain names or mirror their services elsewhere.
Recent rulings from the Delhi High Court have expanded that approach, allowing action not only against access providers but also against domain registrars.
Shift from access blocking to domain control
Under these broader “lock and suspend” directives, domain names linked to alleged piracy operations can be frozen and effectively removed from circulation.
Instead of merely restricting access within India, these orders can disable domains at the registration level, a shift which changes the technical mechanics of enforcement and increases the immediate disruption faced by affected platforms.
One of the notable features of these orders is their application to foreign domain registrars, including companies based in the United States.
By requiring registrars to suspend domains and provide registrant details, the court extends the impact beyond Indian borders, which can prevent operators from quickly restoring services under the same domain name.
According to the International Intellectual Property Alliance, more than 400 piracy domains have been removed entirely, representing billions of visits globally.
The group argues that these actions have proven unusually disruptive for operators of streaming and download sites, with platforms such as Animeflix, Vegamovies, Fmovies, SFlix, and VidSrc are among those cited as having been affected.
The IIPA also credits the Delhi High Court with demonstrating a detailed understanding of digital piracy infrastructure and granting remedies that go beyond traditional blocking measures.
By combining ISP restrictions with registrar-level interventions, rightsholders obtain both immediate shutdowns and access to identifying information for possible follow-up action.
Industry groups say these enforcement measures are changing overall piracy traffic patterns online, arguing that websites focused on US movies and television now make up a smaller share of leading piracy platforms.
They also add that anime and manga piracy sites are becoming more dominant across major rankings.
While correlation does not necessarily establish causation, rightsholders attribute part of this shift to consistent enforcement orders.
Despite praise for the current framework, the IIPA continues to classify India as a high-priority concern and recommends its placement on the Priority Watch List.
The group argues some internet service providers are slow to comply with blocking directives and calls for stricter timelines, and notes that not all foreign domain registrars comply with Indian court orders, limiting their overall reach.
There are further calls to replicate the Delhi High Court model across other Indian states and to strengthen proposed legislation with additional anti-piracy provisions.
This registrar-level strategy clearly increases pressure on site operators, although its long-term deterrent effect will likely depend on consistent enforcement and cross-border cooperation.
Via Torrent Freak
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