Colombo District Court issues injunction order against YouTube channel Colombo Today

By AJA Abeynayake

Colombo Chief District Judge Aruna Aluthge last week (4) issued an interim injunction on the parent company YouTube LLC of California and Keerthi Dunuwila of Colombo Today preventing the publication of a defamatory video on YouTube that could tarnish the reputation of the Russian Education Center (REC) Campus in Sri Lanka.

Judge Aluthge issuing the interim injunction said that charging a fee by providing a service with the intention of earning profit was not a crime. He said that the interim injunction would be valid till the conclusion of the trial.

Colombo Chief District Judge Aluthge issued this order confirming an enjoining order against the main branch of the YouTube channel, which was issued on Sept 23. The enjoining order was issued three months ago by Colombo Additional District Judge K.K.Liyanage after considering a case filed by the REC Campus, a provider of medical education abroad that offers medical degrees.

A video posted by a YouTube channel under the name Colombo Today is the basis of this case.

The plaintiffs’ educational institution also stated in court that YouTube, which has a huge influence on the entire world, has no right to disregard the laws of other sovereign states.

Defendants’ attorney asked court to lift the Enjoining Order and dismiss the case. Keerthi Dunuwila told court that he had published information about the university through the Youtube channel while retaining the public’s right to know information. The judge said the defendants had also acknowledged that the institution was a reputable institution and that it was not fraudulent to charge money for the purpose of making a profit.

Attorneys Naomi Chethana and Manoj Bandara appeared for the complainant before court on the instructions of Sudath Perera Associates.

The judge rejected the defendant’s request and issued a restraining order until the end of the case and fixed the case for March 23.