Celebrating 20 Years of IP Excellence

The featured image shows a parental advisory label. The image reads "Parental Advisory, explicit content". To read the post, click here.

Film Expression and Censorship in India: Intelligent, Informed Spectator standard (Part 5)

  Continued from Part 4 , read part 4 by clicking here . Any concerns with respect to the content of films after certification may be addressed using the well accepted contemporary social standards test.[12] In other words, a film's contents must be assessed based on today's social context, norms and standards. The test must therefore assess a film from the stand point of today's spectator, and not a spectator of the last century. Intelligent, Informed Spectator The contemporary spectator, whose disposition…

Read more

The featured image reads "Government censorship protecting you from reality". To read what this is about, click here

Review Committee Reports, Benegal Committee report, Mudgal Committee report, Censorship Model (Part 4)

  Continued from Part 3 , read part 3 by clicking here .   Review Committee Reports The Benegal Committee and the Mudgal Committee constituted in 2016 and 2013 were tasked with the job of making recommendations for the process of film certification in India, Uniform, Non-Discriminatory and Non-Discretionary among others.[11] Though both the reports agree that the existing system of film certification is fraught with subjectivity, they diverge in their recommendations for making it objective. While the Mudgal Committee, in line with…

Read more

censorship burkah

Film Expression and Censorship in India: Udta Punjab and Lipstick under my Burkah (Part 3)

Continued from Part 2, read part 2 by clicking here. Select Censorship Cases Religion, Women, Drugs, Decency, public order, Sovereignty and Integrity, all form the basis for CBFC's decision with respect to Udta Punjab, Had Anhad and Lipstick under the Burkah films. The disputes and controversies around the said films reflect the subjectivity inherent in CBFC's assessment and judgment. The fact that the Courts reversed all excisions made by the CBFC in two of the cases leads one to conclude that…

Read more

The featured image reads "The worst thing about censorship is (the text after this line is blocked with a black tape". This image very aptly indicates censorship. To read more click here.

Film Expression and Censorship in India: Film Certification Principles, CBFC Guidelines and Principles (Part 2)

Continued from Part 1, read part 1 by clicking here. Film Certification Principles The guidelines issued by the Central Government under the Act and the principles therein guide the CBFC in forming opinions and making decisions with respect to certification.[7]  The Guidelines expound the permissible restrictions under the constitution and the provisions of the Act. They broadly capture the principles based on which prior restraint may be imposed on films submitted for certification. Guidelines and Principles The…

Read more

The featured image reads "The worst thing about censorship is (the text after this line is blocked with a black tape". This image very aptly indicates censorship. To read more click here.

Film Expression and Censorship in India: An Introduction (Part 1)

  Expression in the form of films is unique and special in many ways. Films merge life-like moving pictures, sounds, and other effects to tell a story, or send a message unlike any other form of expression. When the film is shown to a captive audience in a closed, dark environment, with the aid of advanced technology, its impact is heightened substantially. It is believed that one does not experience the same euphoria, emotion and engagement if the same film is…

Read more

The featured image shows a green school board on which the following words appear to be written by chalk. The words read "Copyrights, Media & Entertainment Law news : Weekly updates". To get your weekly updates and news on IP, click here.

Copyright Infringement, Entertainment tax, Beauty and the Beast, Swarovski, Copyright tips and more

Copyright Infringement, Entertainment tax, Beauty and the Beast, Swarovski, Copyright tips and more, presented by the Media & entertainment law attorneys and experts of BananaIP Counsels, India’s Premier New Age IP Firm. Quote of the Week "Kill Piracy; Save Creativity." - Pirates of Bollywood, Dr. Kalyan C. Kankanala, Renowned IP Attorney, Author and Professor. Recent entertainment case laws MSOs and local cable operators liable to collect and pay entertainment tax to the government. Responding to the pleas filed by multi-system operators (MSOs) and…

Read more

The featured image shows a green school board on which the following words appear to be written by chalk. The words read "Copyrights, Media & Entertainment Law news : Weekly updates". To get your weekly updates and news on IP, click here.

Rangoon movie, Facebook Licensing, DC Super Hero Girls, Special 301 and more

This weekly update on Copyrights, Media and Entertainment Law is brought to you by the Entertainment Law experts of BananaIP (BIP) Counsels. Thought of the Week "Of all the creative work produced by humans anywhere, a tiny fraction has continuing commercial value. For that tiny fraction, the copyright is a crucially important legal device." - Lawrence Lessig Copyright Infringement Case updates Kangana and Rangoon team land in murky waters of copyright infringement Film production company Nadia Movietone Pvt Ltd. has filed a copyright…

Read more

The featured image shows a green school board on which the following words appear to be written by chalk. The words read "Copyrights, Media & Entertainment Law news : Weekly updates". To get your weekly updates and news on IP, click here.

Hrithik, Beyonce, Infringement, Bombay High Court

  This weekly update on Copyrights, Media and Entertainment Law is brought to you by the Entertainment Law experts of BananaIP (BIP) Counsels. Thought of the Week: “Only one thing is impossible for God: To find any sense in any copyright law on the planet” - Mark Twain Copyright Cases Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) sues Thomson Press The Bombay High Court has recently granted a stay order in response to an injunction suit brought about by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT),…

Read more

The featured image reads 'all rights reserved'. This post talks about the Entertainment Law and Copyrights involved in Royalty Rights in Sound Recordings, Lyrics & Musical Works. To read more, please click here.

Royalty Rights in Sound Recordings, Lyrics & Musical Works – Part 1

  Quick bite: Dear readers, the following post is brought to you by the Media and Entertainment law experts of BananaIP (BIP)Counsels. This post is the first in its series and promises to engage your grey matter. This post will essentially help you understand the Entertainment Law and Copyrights surrounding Royalty Rights in Sound Recordings, Lyrical & Musical Works. Colloquially used word music/song is more than melody or harmony reduced to print, writing or graphic form[1]. Music is a language with a…

Read more

The featured image shows the logo of YouTube. The post is about the recent defamation suit thatw as filed against You Tube and Google. To know more, please click here.

Madras HC directs Google and YouTube to provide User Details in Defamation Suit.

Google and its subsidiary YouTube were caught in a crossfire in India when Lebara Foundation a non-profit philanthropic institution supporting communities to address the welfare of vulnerable and displaced children, filed a defamation suit over an allegedly defamatory video posted by an uploader named Marupakkam Seithigal on YouTube. A Single bench (Justice MM Sundresh,) of the Madras High Court allowed Lebara’s applications seeking the IP address of those responsible for uploading a ‘defamatory’ video. The court said “If a person…

Read more