Overview
- The High Court, which issued the interim order Tuesday, paused all further investigation in the FIR and sent notices to the state and the complainant.
- Police in Subramanyapura registered the FIR on February 4 after Bhavana Belagere alleged counterfeit or unauthorized sales of her late father’s novel at Rs 149 instead of the stated Rs 350.
- The complaint names Amazon, Flipkart, and Meesho, though only Amazon has moved the court to quash the case and claim protection as an online “intermediary.”
- Amazon argued that Section 79 of the IT Act shields platforms that host third‑party listings, and it said it neither set prices nor sold the book, which it removed on May 7 at police direction after sharing seller details.
- The bench listed the case for the third week of June, and the outcome could shape whether rights holders must target individual sellers or can hold marketplaces criminally liable for alleged copyright infringement.