What is a John Doe Order?

A John Doe Order is a court injunction issued against unknown or unidentified persons when their identity is not known at the time of filing the case.

It allows a party to seek immediate legal protection against potential or ongoing illegal acts such as piracy, online defamation, or cybercrime.

Once the offenders are identified, the case can be amended to name them specifically.

In India, John Doe orders are commonly used in IPR and media cases, especially to prevent movie or live-stream piracy before release or broadcast.