Viacom18 Vs FairPlay: Betting Platform Operator Arrested For Unlawfully Streaming IPL 2023

The cyber crime unit of the Maharashtra Police has arrested a key figure behind the betting platform FairPlay India for allegedly infringing the IPL-related intellectual property rights (IPRs) of Reliance-backed Viacom18.

Gulam Abbas Muni was arrested on December 12 after the company filed a criminal complaint against the platform, its owners and distributors with the Maharashtra Cyber Digital Crime Unit (MCDCU). 

As per a statement by Viacom18, Muni was produced before a court on the same day and has now been remanded to police custody until the unspecified next date of hearing.

The complaint spans allegations of copyright infringement, criminal conspiracy, cheating, among other offences. It also names two other accused, Penny and Joe, in the case. The betting platform is said to have allegedly unlawfully streamed the cricket tournament on the FairPlay app.

Viacom18 had secured the digital rights for streaming the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches from BCCI for a period of five years, 

Commenting on the development, Viacom18’s general counsel Anil Lale said, “The unlawful streaming made it imperative for us to intervene promptly. After almost a whole year of persistence we now have one of the perpetrators behind bars. In such cases prompt action is of utmost importance. The damage caused was not just financial but also to our reputation. At Viacom18, we consistently strive to stay ahead of infringers/pirates through proactive legal measures and will continue to do so.”

The case harks back to late last year when Viacom18’s JioCinema announced that it would stream IPL 2023 matches for free on its app. Around the time when the OTT platform began streaming the tournament earlier this year, FairPlay is said to have pushed ads as well as put up hoardings in Mumbai and other major cities and associated itself with the tournament. 

As per Viacom18, the company advertised taglines such as ‘Watch IPL for Free, LIVE’ and the betting site was later found to have unlawfully streamed the matches on the FairPlay platform.

Acting on this, the digital juggernaut approached the Madras High Court (HC) and sought a pre-infringement injunction. In April this year, the Court also granted Viacom18’s request for an injunction against FairPlay and barred the latter from unauthorised streaming of IPL 2023 on its website, including any advertisements. 

Prior to this, in December 2022, the HC had also passed an order that restrained more than 4,750 websites, internet service providers (ISPs), and other unknown parties from streaming content that violated Viacom18’s IPL rights. 

Afterwards, the company also filed a complaint with the MCDCU, which resulted in Muni’s arrest.