Court overturns block on SMS score updates

The Madras High Court has overturned an order which prohibited celluar phone providers and internet portals to give on SMS scores and other updates during the current India-Pakistan one-day series.

On February 8, the same court granted an interim injunction to Chennai-based Marksman Marketing Services which prevented SMS scores being sent out on the series. The company claimed it had signed a deal with another firm who had in turn secured rights from the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Besides the 18 cellular telephone companies and web portals like Rediff and Yahoo, the plaintiff had also cited the Indian board and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India as respondents.

The defendants countered that SMS was a value-added service over which no one could claim copyright.