Delhi HC cracks down on alleged use of pirated surveillance software at Udyog Bhawan

The Delhi High Court has passed a restraining order against a private firm that allegedly installed a pirated copy of a proprietary video management software for the surveillance security systems at Udyog Bhawan, which houses several Ministries, including the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in the national capital.

The order was passed on November 10 in a suit filed by Mirasys India Private Limited, a technology company, seeking a permanent ban on the unauthorised use of its registered trademark and copyright protected software.

“As there is no purchase order of the Mirasys software from the plaintiff, for installing the same at the project site (Udyog Bhawan) and that the software found at the project site was licensed by the plaintiff for a different site, the Mirasys software installed at the project site is prima facie a pirated and unauthorised copy of the Mirasys software,” Justice Tejas Karia noted.

Mirasys, represented by senior advocate Swathi Sukumar, submitted that pirated copies of its software system had been installed and used at the project site at Udyog Bhawan since 2020, without any authorisation, licence, or consent from the company.

Her client first became aware of the piracy when the officials of Telecommunications Consultants India Limited, raised a malfunction complaint concerning Mirasys Software telephonically, Ms. Sukumar said.

Acting on the complaint, Mirasys’s representatives visited the premises in May 2025 and carried out an inspection, when the unauthorised use of its software was detected.

Subsequently, Mirasys’s internal investigation confirmed that multiple unauthorised copies of the Mirasys software, originally licensed for another site in Gurugram, had been illegally copied and surreptitiously installed at the premises of Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi, without their “knowledge, consent, or contractual authorisation”.

The software was allegedly installed by an ex-employee of Mirasys’s erstwhile distributor, who had access to licence numbers and encrypted files.

Acting on the plea, the court restrained the defendants, their directors, employees, agents, and associates from reproducing, copying, installing, distributing, using or otherwise dealing in any unlicensed or pirated copies of the Mirasys software, in any manner.

The court also appointed local commissioners, who would visit the defendants’ premises to inspect and seize computer systems, servers, storage devices, installation logs, licence documents, and other material linked to the alleged infringement. The commissioners have been authorised to seek police assistance and break open locks if access to the premises is denied.