The Delhi High Court overturned injunction orders that had barred an EdTech platform from showcasing information about two universities on its website. The court ruled that using publicly available data is permissible as long as it is not presented in a negative light. The platform, GetMyUni Education Services Private Limited, had faced restrictions on displaying details of Mangalayatan University and Usha Martin University.
The court’s decision came after the platform argued that it was merely sharing extracts from publicly available information, including rankings from recognized sources like the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and publications such as ‘The Week’ and ‘India Today’. The appellant emphasized that the data was shared in the public interest without any misrepresentation or claims of affiliation with the universities. It contended that the earlier court orders had deprived students of essential information.
Responding to the platform’s actions, the universities alleged that the displayed rankings and search results did not align with those on Google, tarnishing their professional image. However, the Delhi High Court, upon review, found no evidence of manipulation or derogatory comments by the appellant affecting the universities’ reputation. The court highlighted that the rankings displayed were sourced from public data and not altered by the platform.
The court dismissed claims of reputational harm, stating that the rankings referenced on the website were publicly available and not modified by the platform. It noted that the universities had not contested the rankings by official agencies or requested removal from search engine results. The court concluded that the appellant had the right to use publicly available information about the universities as long as it was not presented in a disparaging manner.
