This is a weekly news update on Copyright and Entertainment Law.
Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Jhund’ Receives Relief from Supreme Court
In a recent decision passed by the Supreme Court of India, the feature film ‘Jhund’ starring Amitabh Bachchan among others, was given the green light for screening on OTT platforms in the ongoing copyright infringement claim against the film. The copyright infringement suit was filed by Hyderabad-based director, Nandi China Kumar, who had earlier attempted to prevent theatrical release of ‘Jhund’ on similar grounds. The Supreme Court however, refused to accept the claims of the petitioner, and ordered streaming of the film on OTT platforms to continue.
Consumer Court Strikes Ajay Devgan’s Name from Misleading Advertisement Suit
Ajay Devgan was recently removed as a party in a misleading advertisement suit filed by a movie-goer, in relation to his 2019 film ‘De De Pyaar De’. The suit was filed before the District Consumer Forum, against Ajay Devgan and the producers of the film, alleging misleading advertisement, as the stunt depicted on the posters of the film was never performed by Ajay Devgan during the entirety of the film. The plaintiff further claimed over 4.5 Lakh Rupees in financial damages and mental distress. The Court, however, removed Ajay Devgan as a defendant in the suit, as the actor merely portrayed a role in the film, and was not responsible for the promotion and advertising thereof.
FIR Instituted by Bengaluru Police Against Content Piracy Platforms
The Bengaluru Police has instituted an FIR against four rogue websites, TamilMV, Tamilblasters, Tamilrockers, and PikaShowTV, who are allegedly involved in facilitating piracy of copyrighted content. The FIR was filed on the basis of a complaint filed by digital media giant Disney Star. The FIR has been registered by the Bengaluru Cyber Police under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code, Section 66 of the Information Technology Act, and Sections 63 and 65 of the Copyright Act. The websites in question have been reported to have a cumulative traffic of about 62 million visitors, and is engaged in rampant piracy and unlawful distribution of Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam content.
Authored and compiled by Varun Gopala Krishnan (Associate, BananaIP Counsels)
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