Overview
Solaris Legal appears for technology companies, internet intermediaries, domain name businesses, media houses and insurers in disputes across the sector. Matters come before the High Courts in domain name, intermediary liability, trademark and copyright disputes, and before tribunals including the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal. The firm also advises on data protection, cyber incidents and intermediary compliance under Indian law.
The legal framework
Telecoms regulatory disputes arise under the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act 1997 and the Telecommunications Act 2023 and are heard by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal. Data and intermediary matters engage the Information Technology Act 2000, the intermediary rules of 2021 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, before the Data Protection Board of India and the High Courts. Enforcement of rights in software, digital content and domain names proceeds under the Copyright Act 1957 and the Trade Marks Act 1999, largely before the High Courts.
Scope
- Domain name, intermediary liability and trademark and copyright litigation before the High Courts of Delhi, Bombay and Madras and other courts across India.
- Advice to platforms and internet intermediaries on due diligence, grievance redressal and court-mandated actions under the Information Technology Act 2000 and the intermediary rules of 2021.
- Appellate proceedings for domain name businesses on the scope of the obligations that court directions may attach to the registration of domain names.
- Compliance advice under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, including data mapping, consent frameworks, privacy notices and breach notification.
- Breach response counsel work on cyber incidents, including CERT-In notification, filings on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and advice on incidents within the CERT-In Rules 2013.
- Disputes over confidential information and proprietary source code for software developers and SaaS companies, including arbitration under licensing and user agreements and matters involving expert comparison of source code.
- Technology contract disputes, including claims over deficient software services and claims under government contracts concerning delay and liquidated damages.
- Arbitration for insurers in disputes with software companies over the implementation and configuration of IT solutions.
- Trademark, copyright and passing-off litigation for media houses, media conglomerates and public figures before the Delhi and Calcutta High Courts.
- Media rights disputes, including advice to licensors on breach of sub-licence agreements.
