The Madras high court on Saturday allowed cell phone operators across the country to provide scores of the ongoing India-Pakistan one-day international cricket series through SMS.

Justice R Bhanumathi gave the interim order on a batch of 18 petitions filed by mobile service providers, including Bharti Televentures and Hutch, challenging a February 7 order by another judge of the court restraining them from providing score updates through SMS.

Earlier, Justice M Chockalingam had, on February 7, passed the interim stay order, effective for four weeks, on a civil suit by Marksman Marketing Services Private Limited.

Justice Bhanumathi said if ultimately the suit goes in favour of Marksman, the company could be compensated and it would not suffer any loss.

She directed the cell phone operators to maintain strict account of the revenue earned through the score SMS of the one-day internationals.

Marksman had contended it had secured the rights of disseminating information relating to scores, alerts and updates or other events or happenings of the tour through SMS.