What is John Doe Order?

"John Doe" is a legal term used to identify unknown or anonymous individuals in a case, especially when the defendant’s identity is not known at the time of filing.

In India, such orders, also called Ashok Kumar orders, are granted under Order 39, Rules 1 and 2 of the Civil Procedure Code, 1908, to prevent irreparable harm.

In a recent case, the Court issued a John Doe and dynamic+ injunction against rogue platforms like Yoghurt TV and Nova IPTV for illegally streaming Premier League matches. Citing violations under the Copyright Act, 1957, over 30 infringing domains were ordered to be blocked.