The Delhi High Court is currently hearing a case involving Asian News International (ANI) and YouTuber Mohak Mangal concerning allegations of copyright and trademark infringement. ANI filed a suit in June 2025, asserting that Mangal had uploaded ten videos on his YouTube channel without authorization, which included content owned by the news agency. The case was initially filed before a district court but was later transferred to the Delhi High Court due to its significance and the complexity of the issues involved.
Mohak Mangal, in his application before the High Court, agreed to remove portions of one of his videos titled “Dear ANI,” which ANI had claimed was offensive and defamatory. Mangal contended that six of the ten videos cited in ANI’s copyright complaint were already the subject of ANI’s defamation and disparagement suit filed earlier in the High Court. He argued that the two proceedings involved overlapping issues and that consolidating the matters would prevent conflicting judgments, ensure judicial efficiency, and avoid duplicative litigation. Mangal emphasized that the principle of avoiding multiplicity of proceedings should guide the court in determining whether consolidation was appropriate.
ANI, on the other hand, maintained that the two suits address distinct causes of action. While the defamation suit focuses on content allegedly disparaging or harmful to ANI’s reputation, the copyright case specifically deals with the unauthorized use of ANI’s material and the potential infringement of its intellectual property rights. ANI argued that each suit raised separate legal questions, including the scope of copyright protection, fair use, and the extent of the rights held by content creators versus users of that content. The news agency asserted that combining the suits could complicate proceedings and potentially obscure the distinct legal remedies sought in each case.
The High Court has scheduled hearings to examine Mangal’s application and determine whether the two suits should proceed separately or be consolidated. The court’s decision will be crucial in setting boundaries regarding the protection of copyrighted material in the digital space, particularly for media organizations and individual content creators. The case underscores the growing legal complexities arising from the widespread dissemination of digital content on platforms like YouTube, where issues of intellectual property, fair use, and freedom of expression intersect. The court’s ultimate ruling on the procedural question of consolidation, as well as the substantive claims of copyright and trademark infringement, will have important implications for content creators and media organizations in India, clarifying how disputes over digital media rights are adjudicated.
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