Newslaundry, the media watchdog, agreed on Tuesday to take down its video commentary on the ongoing defamation and copyright infringement suit filed against it by TV Today Network.
The digital publication also said it would desist from offering any comment or critique and would instead simply report on the court proceedings.
Newslaundry made this submission before the Delhi High Court after the counsel for TV Today informed the court that the online portal has been publishing video commentary on the court proceedings in the lawsuit.
The TV Today Network, which owns the news channels India Today and Aaj Tak, had filed the suit against Newslaundry seeking Rs 2 crore damages for copyright infringement and defamation of its anchors, employees, and management.
Seeking permanent and mandatory injunction against Newslaundry, its CEO Abhinandan Sekhri, its correspondent Ayush Tiwari, and others, TV Today alleged that the publication had uploaded several videos on its website and social media platforms which made “unfair, untrue and disparaging defamatory remarks” about TV Today‘s anchors as well as the management.
In a series of tweets, Tiwary mentioned two of the articles in question.
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“This was the first story. This January, after Sardesai was penalised for flawed reporting on farmer protests, I had argued why India Today should extend same standards to other less-than-stellar anchors. In court, India Today claims the article is ‘vicious’,” wrote Tiwary.
Sharing the second article, Tiwary wrote that in it, he had “scrutinised a hate-filled segment by anchor Gaurav Sawant, calling him a ‘known culprit in the fake news department’, backing the claim with multiple sources.”
In its suit, in addition to commercial disparagement and defamation, TV Today has also alleged copyright infringement over videos published by Newslaundry that allegedly show TV Today‘s programs as is.
During Tuesday’s hearing, the complainant informed the court that Newslaundry has now been making videos on the suit proceedings. Taking strong exception to this, the court asked the publication to not indulge in “parallel proceedings.”
On Newlaundry‘s argument of freedom of speech, the court said, “One cannot be allowed to harm another’s reputation under the garb of freedom of speech. Commenting doesn’t really add information.”
However, Newslaundry is free to report the court proceedings in a “fair and transparent” manner, the court added.
Newslaundry has been posting several parody videos on the ongoing copyright issue on Instagram since its YouTube channel has been temporarily blocked after the India Today group and Aaj Tak made over 50 copyright claims.