Indian Copyright Statistics, the success story of Lego Toys, Oneplus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition in India, Fukrey Returns Signs Brand Deals and more is presented by the Copyright and Entertainment Law Attorneys and experts of BananaIP Counsels, India’s Premier New Age IP Firm
COPYRIGHT QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Copyright Registration is an option that must be exercised to effectively enforce copyrights in India.” – Dr. Kalyan C Kankanala
INDIAN COPYRIGHT STATISTICS
There was an increase of 28% in the total number of copyright filings during this week, compared to the last week. A total of 212 applications were filed for copyright registration during the last week. While most of the applications were filed for literary works only 2 applications were filed for registering Sound Recordings.
| Sr. No | Types of work | Number of Applications previous week | Number of Applications this week | Percentage change |
| 1 | Literary Works | 145 | 168 | An increase of 15% |
| 2 | Musical works | 1 | 5 | An increase of 400% |
| 3 | Artistic works | 3 | 14 | An increase of 366% |
| 4 | Cinematograph Films | 3 | 6 | An increase of 100% |
| 5 | Sound Recordings | 1 | 2 | An increase of 100% |
| 6 | Software | 12 | 17 | An increase of 41% |
| Total | 165 | 212 | An increase of 28% |
INDIAN COPYRIGHTS AND ENTERTAINMENT LAW UPDATES
Copyright office expedites examination process
The Indian Copyright Office will now publish every week, the list of applications received for registration during the week on its website. “This publication would be considered as a notice to any person claiming interest in the subject matter of the Application,” states a circular issued by the Copyright office last Monday. In case no objection is received within 30 days of such publication, the said applications would be examined by the Office for further actions. Moreover, the circular reiterates and affirms the existing rule that an application filed online would be treated as abandoned if no work/documents are submitted within 30 days of filing the application. While the efforts taken to expedite the registration process is commendable, the Office should also take steps to allow users to submit their works online.
AIDCF approached Madras High Court to maintain Status Quo
The All India Digital Cable Federation had filed a petition before the Madras High Court requesting for a directive to the broadcasters to maintain the status quo on renegotiating agreements between TV Channels and Multi System Operators till the court decides on the TRAI’s new tariff regime announced in 2016. Madras High Court is currently hearing a case pertaining to TRAI’s validity to have jurisdiction over matters relating to copyrights. Along with the Tariff, TRAI had also issued guidelines with respect to standards of quality of service which was earlier stayed by the Supreme Court till the Madras High Court decides on TRAI’s jurisdiction over matters relating to copyrights.
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT AND ENTERTAINMENT LAW UPDATES
Lego restrains brick imitators in China
The toy maker Lego has successfully restrained two companies in China from manufacturing and selling toys that are identical to its Lego friends range toys. The China Shantou Intermediate People’s Court ruled that “certain products infringed upon the copyrights of the Lego Group and that manufacturing and selling of those products constituted acts of unfair competition.” Earlier this year the Beijing Higher Court recognized Lego as a Well-Known trade mark in China.
LICENSING AND MERCHANDISING UPDATES
OnePlus 5T Star Wars limited edition in India Soon
With the new Star Wars film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi set to be released soon both Motorola and OnePlus have entered into deals with Disney to bring their Star Wars themed phones to the market. While the Moto Mod Style Shell with a Darth Vader image will be available only in China, the limited-edition Star Wars OnePlus 5T will be available in India on the 15th of December, 2017.
Fukrey Returns signs 9 brand deals
The forthcoming film Fukrey Returns, the sequel to the 2013 film Fukrey, starring Pulkit Samrat, Varun Sharma, Manoj Singh, Richa Chadda, Ali Fazal and Priya Anand releases today, 8th of December, 2017. The film has managed to sign nine brand tie-ups including with Hike Messenger, whereby the messaging service will create stickers based on the characters from the film. Besides this, the other brands which have signed up with the film are Amazon, Pepsi, Chroma and Shoppers Stop, Paytm, BookMyShow, Ola cabs, and Diamond Comics.
Studiocanal and Hulu sign a licensing deal
The production company Studiocanal signed a licensing deal with the streaming service company Hulu, for making available its premium content in the U.S. As per the deal, Hulu will get the exclusive subscription video on demand (SVOD) rights to twenty hours of Studiocanal’s premium drama content. The deal includes the drama series such as “Below the Surface” from Kasper Barfoed and SAM Productions, “Midnight Sun” from Mårlind & Stein and “Trust Me” from Dan Sefton.
Disney- Fox saga to change the Hollywood studio landscape
It has been reported that 21st Century Fox will be selling the majority of its assets, approximately $68 billion to Disney. The remaining assets that include Fox Broadcasting Co., Fox News and sports cable networks FS1 and FS2, would be joined to form a smaller television company. This deal will substantially change Disney’s position and could make it the most dominant studio in Hollywood.
BananaIP Entertainment Law Tip of the Week
Copyright Registration and Enforcement
Registering a copyright is not mandatory for acquiring copyright protection, but registration has important benefits. One advantage of registering a copyright is the relative ease of enforcing copyrights in India.
Author: BIP’s Copyright and Entertainment Law Attorneys
Senior Partner, the entertainment law attorneys at BIP are among the well-known lawyers in the field. They work with clients such as Yash Raj Films, Dharma Productions, Ananda Audio, Anushka Sharma, Sushant Singh, and Arka Media (Producer of Bahu Bali). BIP’s entertainment law team helps clients protect, manage and effectively license and merchandise their creative works such as films, music, brands and other content, to maximize financial returns.
The weekly copyright and entertainment law news initiative is a part of their pro bono work, and is aimed at spreading entertainment law awareness. You are free to share the news with appropriate attribution and backlink to the source.
If you have any questions, you may write to BIP’s Copyright and Entertainment Law Attorneys – [email protected].
