The publishers knew where unlicensed copies of their software were being used, down to the IP address, but not who was using them. In two separate cases a year apart, the Delhi High Court closed that gap.
Siemens, March 2023
The court granted Siemens an ex parte injunction against unknown users and ordered the internet service provider Bharti Airtel to identify the subscribers behind 22 IP addresses.
Bentley Systems, May 2024
Bentley Systems obtained the same type of order. The court directed the ISP to disclose the name, address, contact number and email address of the people using the IP addresses Bentley submitted. The order goes a step further: it also covers any further IP addresses Bentley later reports as infringing, so new infringers can be identified without a new lawsuit.
Why it matters
With two orders on the same model, this is now an established route in India. Publishers can move from an IP address to a name and an address, and from there to enforcement.
Sources: Delhi High Court orders of March 7, 2023 and May 30, 2024.
Header photo: Bidgee, CC BY-SA 3.0 au, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped and toned).
