New Delhi : Domain name registrars (DNRs) have been warned by the Delhi High Court not to disobey court orders. Should they disobey instructions about taking action against illicit online activities, they risk having their accounts “blocked” by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY).
Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Mini Pushkarna, who sit on a division bench, declared that DNRs cannot be used as tools for syndicating scams and urged DNRs to be watchful in stopping the unauthorized use of well-known trademarks for fraudulent and unlawful purposes on websites that are registered.
In a suo moto case, the court addressed trademark infringement via fraudulent websites and considered the function of DNRs in such cases.
The court ruled that DNRs had to follow the established rules in order to do business in India. It emphasized the necessity of a system to guarantee compliance, especially in situations where trademark infringement results in internet fraud and scams.
Millions cannot be let to be defrauded. There’s a serious issue here,” the bench stated.
It acknowledged that DNRs are a significant industry in the nation, but it issued a warning to avoid turning them into “scam units.”
While noting the challenges in altering the international system, the court stressed its authority in India, stating that MEITY could be instructed to block DNRs that fail to comply with the established norms. It called for an end to repeated cases filed by affected parties and urged DNRs to proactively prevent the registration of offending domains.
The court has now listed the matter for heating next on January 9.
