Groundless threats | Intellepedia

Sacred Cow, Groundless Threat: Delhi High Court on Copyrights and Amazon

In the case of Avaia Ventures Private Limited v. Wildship Enterprises Private Limited, a competitor filed successive copyright complaints on Amazon against a seller of silver plated Kamdhenu cow idols, armed with no copyright registration, no court proceedings, and a product page URL where the copyright number should have been. The Delhi High Court found that filing platform level takedown complaints without ever approaching a court of competent jurisdiction is a groundless threat within the meaning of Section 60 of the Copyright Act, 1957. The court also held, at a prima facie stage, that the Kamdhenu cow with calf is a sacred motif in the public domain and that mass commercial production of more than fifty units had, in any event, extinguished any copyright the complainant may have claimed.

Golden Stag Hunts Blue Mangoes: Copyright Claim Falls Short

Golden stag glowing in a dark forest, symbolizing the copyright infringement dispute over Golden Stag and The House of Blue Mangoes.

In the case of Mr. David Davidar vs Ms. Sivasundari Bose, two novels set in South India turned into a long dispute over copyright and reputation. Ms. Bose claimed that The House of Blue Mangoes drew from her manuscript Golden Stag, while Mr. Davidar denied access, denied copying, and challenged the allegations.

When Saregama found a copyright infringement suit, not so e’Zee’

This analysis discusses the Saregama versus Zee copyright dispute focusing on groundless threats and the operation of Section 60 of the Copyright Act. The court’s decision highlights due diligence and procedural clarity in handling competing copyright claims.