MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court has passed its first unconditional John Doe order for Anurag Kashyap’s upcoming film Gangs of Wasseypur.

The order was passed by Justice B.R. Gawai as an ex-parte ad-interim order against all defendants restraining them from distributing copies of the film through any means without a licence from its producer.

With the effect of the order, the film cannot be shown through CD, DVD, Cable TV, DTH, internet, etc without permission.

The co-producers of the film, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, had moved the HC against cable operators, internet service providers and other unknown defendants seeking preemptory orders restraining them from pirating the film on any platform.

Senior counsel Venkatesh Dhond and Ameet Naik appeared for the film producers.

Similar orders have earlier been passed by the Delhi HC for other films.