Bengaluru Court asks Twitter to block Congress, Bharat Jodo Yatra accounts

Order follows a copyright infringement case filed by MRT Music, which said both accounts illegally used sound recordings of the film KGF-Chapter 2

A Bengaluru court on Monday ordered Twitter to temporarily block the accounts of the Congress (INC) Party and of its Bharat Jodo Yatra in a copyright infringement case.

The case against Congress was filed by MRT Music which said both accounts illegally used sound recordings of the film KGF-Chapter 2. 

An FIR was lodged against Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, and Supriya Shrinate at Yeshwanthpur Police Station.

The court said that based on the prima facie materials before the court, the plaintiff would suffer an irreparable injury if the alleged illegal use of sound records was encouraged. It would also encourage piracy, the court added. 

“Plaintiff produced a CD showing the side by side file, that is, original version of his copyrighted work with that of the illegally synchronised version. These prima facie materials available before this court at this stage establishes that if the same is encouraged plaintiff who is in the business of acquiring cinematography films, songs, music albums etc., will be put to irreparable injury and further the same will lead to encouraging the piracy at large," the Court said.

Observing the materials on record, the court restrained the defendants from using the copyrighted work owned by the plaintiff till the next date of hearing.

It also directed Twitter to take down three links from its platform and ordered it to block the twitter accounts of INC and Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Counsel for MRT said it was necessary to appoint a Commissioner to inspect and conduct an electronic audit and to preserve the infringing material on INC's Twitter account and Bharat Jodo Yatra's Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook accounts.

The Court agreed and appointed an administrator of its computer section as local commissioner to visit the defendants' accounts, conduct an electronic audit and preserve infringing materials available. 

"This court is convinced that the object of granting an injunction would be defeated by delay if commissioner is not appointed to make local inspection. Accordingly, Sri. S.N. Venkateshmurthy, District System Administrator of Computer Section, Commercial Court, Bengaluru is appointed as Local Commissioner to visit the defendants 1 to 3 website, conduct electronic audit and preserve the infringing materials available in the above social media and prepare inventory of the same and store the same in this court’s system and separate CD," the order stated.