The Madras High Court has issued an anti-piracy injunction to prevent the unauthorized online distribution of the upcoming Telugu film Peddi, starring Ram Charan. This decision was rendered in the case of Vriddhi Cinemas vs. BSNL, underscoring the court’s commitment to protecting copyright holders from potential piracy threats.
The ruling was delivered by a vacation bench led by Justice V Lakshminarayanan, following an urgent hearing conducted late in the evening. The plaintiff, the producer of Peddi, sought legal intervention to prevent the unauthorized uploading, copying, and transmission of the film on the internet, prior to its scheduled release on June 4, 2026.
Peddi, directed by Buchi Babu Sana, is a sports-action drama featuring a star-studded cast including Janhvi Kapoor, Shiva Rajkumar, and Jagapathi Babu, with music by the renowned AR Rahman. The producer’s legal action aimed at securing a permanent injunction against various named defendants and unknown individuals who might attempt to infringe on the film’s copyright by releasing pirated versions online.
In its examination of the producer’s complaint and accompanying documents, the court recognized the producer as the rightful copyright owner, having invested significantly in the film’s production and promotion. The court emphasized the potential financial harm and prejudice that would result from unauthorized online dissemination of the movie.
Justice V Lakshminarayanan noted, “In the event that the movie is released unauthorizedly over the internet, the plaintiff would suffer serious loss and prejudice.” Consequently, the court determined that the plaintiff was justifiably entitled to what is known as an Ashok Kumar order.
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An Ashok Kumar order is a legal measure that provides an injunction against unidentified individuals to preemptively combat anticipated intellectual property violations. These orders are particularly relevant in cases of film piracy, where the identities of potential infringers are often not known beforehand.
The court granted the interim injunction for a period of four weeks, during which the unauthorized distribution of Peddi is prohibited. The matter is scheduled for further hearing after this period.
