T.V. Today Network Limited & Anr. Vs. Google LLC & Ors./20 June 2025/CS(COMM) 634/2025/High Court of Delhi at New Delhi/ Justice Prathiba M. Singh
The dispute arose when T.V. Today Network Limited, a major Indian media house running news channels like Aajtak and India Today, and Ms. Anjana Om Kashyap, its Managing Editor, discovered that an unknown person created a fake YouTube channel ‘@AnajanaomKashya’ imitating Ms. Kashyap’s name and photograph. This channel allegedly published fake videos and news clippings exploiting her reputation and the goodwill of the media house.
Procedurally, the plaintiffs filed a suit seeking urgent interim relief under Order XXXIX Rules 1 & 2 CPC. Alongside, they sought exemption from pre-litigation mediation, filing originals and complete court fee, and requested leave to file additional documents. The Court allowed these applications, impleaded Ms. Kashyap as Plaintiff No.2, and issued summons to the defendants.
The Court discussed the evident difference between the authentic YouTube channel of Plaintiff No.2 and the fake channel, noting the deliberate omission of the letter ‘p’ in ‘Kashyap’ as indicative of bad faith. It observed that proliferation of such fake pages harms personality rights, risks dissemination of misinformation, and unlawfully exploits the plaintiffs’ goodwill for commercial gain.
The Court directed Google LLC to remove the infringing YouTube channel within 48 hours, disclose subscriber information of the creator within two weeks, and provide an account of revenues generated by the channel within four weeks. Further, it directed prompt removal of any similarly fake channels identified by the plaintiffs and scheduled the matter for further hearing.
Written By: Advocate Ajay Amitabh Suman, IP Adjutor [Patent and Trademark Attorney], High Court of Delhi.
