MUMBAI: Two Chinese "cyber pirates" and a US company have been restrained by the Delhi High Court from using the name 'supercassettes' for their pornographic website and have been directed to pay Rs 5,00,000 compensation to music label T-Series.

Justice R S Endlaw passed the order on a petition filed by T-Series' parent company Super Cassettes Industries Limited seeking a compensation from the cyber pirates, Wang Zhi Zhu Ce Yong Hu and Ying ter Wang Ju Le Bu, in whose name the domain name SUPERCASSETTES.COM was registered. A US company responsible for promoting the site was also made a party.

The music company contended that the website, dealing in adult and pornographic images, was inimical to its corporate image, goodwill and reputation and sought damages of Rs 2.5 million from them.

The court after hearing the contention of the company passed an ex-parte order as the Chinese nationals and a US-based company ICL Ltd which was behind the impugned domain name failed to appear before it.

"A decree for damages in the sum of Rs 5,00,000 is passed in favour of the plaintiff (T-Series) and against the defendants (Chinese nationals and US company) jointly and severally. The company shall also be entitled to costs of the suit from the defendants," Justice R S Endlaw said.

The court had earlier passed an interim order on 23 July 2004, restraining them from using the domain name.

The domain name supercassettes.Com was created on 27 September 2003 but it expired on 27 September 2004, after the court passed the interim order.

Initially, the music company had approached the court against the Chinese nationals but it also impleaded the US company later after being informed by the alleged pirates.