Other — India Copyright Cases
75 decisions indexed
Page 1 of 3 · 75 total
AFR M/s Ele Animations (P) Ltd. v.Satya Swagat Mohanty
The petitioner challenged an order rejecting its application to reject a plaint filed by the respondent. The suit involved allegations of copyright infringement concerning artistic works depicting 'Lord Jagannath' and 'Jagan.' The core legal issue was whether the case qualified for exemption from mandatory pre-institution mediation under Section 12-A of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, based on the claim of urgent interim relief.
Shilpa Shetty Kundra v.Getoutlive.in & Ors.
Shilpa Shetty Kundra filed an Interim Application alleging that unknown persons used her photographs to generate and circulate obscene, sexually explicit deepfake content created via artificial intelligence. She sought immediate orders to remove all infringing content from online platforms due to the severe damage to her reputation and dignity. The Court passed an interim order directing all defendants to delete the specified URLs and instructing government bodies (MeitY and DoT) to pull down the unlawful content.
Samriddhi Rice Mill Private Limited v.The Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks
The appellant challenged the order passed by the Deputy Registrar of Copyrights which dismissed its objection and issued a Copyright Certificate in favour of Respondent No.6 (Dinman Polypacks Private Limited). The appeal was filed after a significant delay, and the core issue before the court was whether sufficient cause existed to condone this 506-day delay.
M/s. Sreedevi Video Corporation v.M/s.TKP Pictures
The Madras High Court heard an appeal regarding the ownership and infringement of copyrights related to the film 'MALLU VETTY MINOR'. The court found that the petitioner, M/s. Sreedevi Video Corporation, was the absolute owner of the copyrights. Consequently, a permanent injunction was granted against Respondent No.1 (TKP Pictures) for infringing these rights.
Samriddhi Rice Mill Private Limited v.The Controller General Of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, and Others
The appeal was filed by Samriddhi Rice Mill Private Limited challenging an order passed by the Deputy Registrar of Copy Rights. The respondent argued that only the Delhi High Court had jurisdiction because the Deputy Registrar's office is in New Delhi, citing amendments to the Copyright Act and judicial precedents on forum shopping. The Jharkhand High Court ultimately held that it possesses the necessary territorial jurisdiction to entertain the appeal.
Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar v.Mr. A.R. Rahman & Ors.
Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar filed a suit seeking recognition of copyright and injunction against Mr. A.R. Rahman and others regarding the musical composition 'Shiva Stuti'. The plaintiff alleged that his ancestral work was being used in the song 'Veera Raja Veera' without proper attribution or authorization. The Delhi High Court, while addressing an interim application, found prima facie evidence of copyright infringement. Consequently, the court directed mandatory changes to credit slides on online platforms and ordered a substantial deposit from the defendants.
Ranjan Vasudeo Kolambe v.Appa Alias Hanmant Maroti Hatnure And Another
Ranjan Vasudeo Kolambe filed a civil suit alleging that defendants had infringed his copyrights by copying the content of two Marathi language books. The plaintiff sought an interim injunction to prevent the sale and publication of these alleged duplicate works. However, the Bombay High Court dismissed the commercial appeal, finding prima facie no merit in the plaintiff's case regarding the grant of temporary relief.
Ranjan Vasudeo Kolambe v.Appa Alias Hanmant Maroti Hatnure And Another
Ranjan Vasudeo Kolambe filed a civil suit alleging that the respondents copied the entire content of his two Marathi language books, 'Hkkjrh; vFkZO;oLFkk' and 'Hkkjrh; jkT;?kVuk iz'kklu'. The plaintiff sought an interim injunction to prevent the sale of these allegedly duplicate works. However, the Bombay High Court dismissed the commercial appeal filed by the plaintiff, finding prima facie no merit in his case.
Dr. Nidhi Gulati v.M/s. Repro Books Limited
The plaintiff filed a suit seeking permanent injunction and damages against Repro Books Limited (and Amazon Retail India Pvt. Ltd.) for the unauthorized reproduction and sale of her copyrighted Ph.D thesis, "Construction of Childhood in Cinema," as a book. The court found that Defendant No. 1 infringed upon the exclusive rights of the plaintiff by selling a word-for-word copy without permission or royalty.
Informa Markets India Private Limited v.M/S 4Pinfotech And Anr
Informa Markets India Private Limited filed a petition seeking rectification and removal of an existing copyright registration (L-79443/2018) for the work titled 'Virtual Expo'. The petitioner challenged the validity of the registration, arguing that the document merely described generic benefits of conducting virtual expositions. The Delhi High Court examined whether this description constituted protectable literary material or was simply a documentation of an idea. Ultimately, the court ruled in favor of the petitioner, holding that since the content was abstract and extremely generic, it did not meet the threshold for copyrightability.
Wieden+Kennedy India Private Limited v.Jindal Steel And Power Limited
Wieden+Kennedy India Private Limited approached the Delhi High Court seeking interim protection against Jindal Steel And Power Limited regarding an ad film campaign titled 'Steel of India'. The petitioner claimed authorship and copyright over the creative works, arguing that the respondent terminated the contract without fulfilling payment obligations. The court addressed the dispute under Section 9 of the Arbitration & Conciliation Act, 1996, while acknowledging the IP nature of the claim. The judgment mandated a deposit of Rs. 59 lakhs by the respondent and granted an interim injunction against distribution if the deposit was not made within two weeks.
Mohd Shakir v.Gopal Traders And Anr
Mohd Shakir filed a petition seeking rectification of an artistic work titled 'MYA', which was registered under the Copyright Act, 1957. The petitioner claimed that the impugned registration belonging to Gopal Traders copied an earlier artwork owned by a third party in Lebanon and had prior international trademark registrations for 'MYA'. However, the court dismissed the petition, noting that copyright registration is only prima facie evidence of particulars entered therein. Furthermore, the court highlighted the petitioner's own conflicting assertions regarding ownership in previous opposition proceedings, ultimately upholding the validity of the existing registration.
M/S Dandi Salt Pvt. Limited v.M/S Indo Brine Industries Limited
M/S Dandi Salt Pvt. Limited filed a review petition challenging an earlier dismissal by the Copyright Board on grounds of being time-barred. The core dispute involved objections raised by the petitioner against M/S Indo Brine Industries Limited's attempt to register copyright for the artistic work 'INDOBRINE DANDI SALT/DANDI NAMAK'. Although the initial appeal was dismissed due to procedural delays, the High Court considered the parties' claims and subsequent settlement. Consequently, the court set aside the impugned orders and remanded the matter back to the Copyright Office for fresh consideration.
Manya Vejju Alias Mv Kasi v.Sapna Bhog
This appeal before the Bombay High Court concerned an order restraining the appellant, Manya Vejju, from publishing statements alleging copyright infringement against the respondent, Sapna Bhog. The dispute centered on allegations of plagiarism between their respective romance genre literary works. The core legal question was whether the threat of infringement action fell under Section 60 of the Copyright Act, 1957. The High Court found that the trial court's inquiry into the merits of the copyright claim exceeded its remit and consequently quashed the impugned order, remitting the matter back for a fresh determination.
Manya Vejju Alias Mv Kasi v.Sapna Bhog
This appeal before the Bombay High Court concerned an order restraining the appellant (Manya Vejju) from making statements alleging copyright infringement against the respondent (Sapna Bhog). The dispute centered on allegations of plagiarism and unauthorized copying between their respective literary works in the romance genre. The court held that determining whether actual infringement exists is beyond the scope of a suit under Section 60, as it risks prejudging an action for infringement. Consequently, the High Court quashed the impugned order and remitted the matter back to the District Judge for fresh determination after considering the underlying infringement suit.
M/S Sachdeva And Sons Industries Ppvt Ltd v.M/S Jivan Ram And Sons
This matter involved a rectification petition filed by M/S Sachdeva And Sons Industries Ppvt Ltd against the Copyright registration held by M/S Jivan Ram And Sons for an artistic work titled 'PYARI'. The petitioner sought to challenge this copyright based on its own registered Trademark, 'PARI'. However, due to repeated failures of the Petitioner to appear in court and difficulties in serving notices, the Delhi High Court ultimately dismissed the rectification petition for non-prosecution.
Ten Events And Entertainment v.Novex Communications Private Limited & Ors.
Ten Events And Entertainment filed a declaratory suit challenging the requirement to obtain licenses or NOCs from Defendants, who claimed copyright over songs played during wedding events. The plaintiff argued that such usage falls under 'fair dealing' as per Section 52(1)(za) of the Copyright Act. However, the Delhi High Court found that the plaintiff failed to plead the necessary material facts—such as the nature and bona fides of the ceremony—required by law to establish a cause of action for this specific declaration. Consequently, the court dismissed the interim application and directed the plaintiff to show cause why the entire suit should not be dismissed.
Ms. Aaradhya Bachchan And Anr. v.Bollywood Time & Ors.
Ms. Aaradhya Bachchan filed a civil suit alleging that various parties were circulating misleading videos on YouTube claiming she was critically ill or deceased, often using morphed pictures. The plaintiffs argued this violated her right to privacy and infringed upon the family's intellectual property rights, specifically copyright in their images. The court examined the role of social media intermediaries like Google LLC (YouTube) under the IT Rules, 2021, while setting procedural timelines for the parties to proceed with the infringement claim.
M/S K.W Enterprises v.M/S Karam Industrial Works
M/S K.W Enterprises filed a petition seeking the cancellation of an artistic work registered in favor of M/S Karam Industrial Works under Section 50 of the Copyright Act, 1957. The petitioner argued that the respondent had previously undertaken not to use 'K.I.W.' in relation to cycle parts, which is deceptively similar to K.W. The court observed that this matter was already being disputed in a separate civil suit (CS(COMM) 1035/2016).
Mr.C.S.Padam Chand v.K.Shibu Proprietor Thameem Films and M/s H.R.Pictures
The appeal concerned the appellant's attempt to restrain the release of the movie 'Thugs' due to alleged non-fulfillment of obligations under prior copyright agreements with K.Shibu. The court found that although H.R.Pictures was not a party to the original agreement, an interim injunction could be maintained against its further exploitation (OTT rights) provided K.Shibu furnished adequate security.
P.Ponnuchamy v.M/s.UTV Motion Pictures
This appeal challenged an order that disallowed the plaintiff from amending his plaint to include claims for royalty and account of profits related to the movie 'Thandavam'. The court dismissed the appeal, finding merit in the respondent's argument regarding the significant delay (nine years) in seeking these amendments. The judgment emphasized that courts must consider all facts and circumstances when exercising discretion on amendment applications.
Delhi Public School Society v.Delhi Public School Pvt Ltd.
The Delhi Public School Society filed petitions seeking the cancellation of a specific copyright registration held by its subsidiary, Delhi Public School Pvt Ltd. The core issue revolved around whether the impugned copyright was an exact replica of the Petitioner's original copyrights and if the Respondent had the right to hold such a registration. The Court found that the rival copyrights were nearly identical and that the Petitioner's rights predated the challenged registration. Furthermore, the court noted a prior decree restraining the Respondent from using similar marks.
Chasvinder Singh v.The Registrar Of Copyrights & Ors
This Delhi High Court order addressed a writ petition filed by Chasvinder Singh against The Registrar of Copyrights. During arguments, respondents raised objections regarding the maintainability of the petition, arguing that the appropriate legal remedy for challenging the copyright grant was through a rectification petition under Section 45 of the Copyright Act, 1957. The court granted time to the petitioner to take further instructions before listing the matter for hearing.
Star India Pvt Ltd v.Extramovies.Click & Ors.
Star India Pvt Ltd filed suit seeking permanent injunction against various rogue websites, ISPs, and government bodies for the unauthorized hosting and streaming of its film 'Tadap'. The plaintiff claimed exclusive rights over the cinematograph work. Throughout the proceedings, numerous additional infringing URLs were identified and blocking orders were issued by MEITY and DoT. Given that the film's theatrical run had concluded and no defense was raised by the rogue websites, the court confirmed the existing injunction and decreed the suit in favor of Star India.
Narendra Hirawat And Co. v.Sholay Media Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. & Anr.
This case concerns a dispute over film licensing rights for 'Sholay' and related titles between Narendra Hirawat And Co. (NHC) and Sholay Media Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. (SME). The core issue revolved around alleged non-compliance with a Deed of Settlement, which included payment obligations and an extension of the license period. The Supreme Court granted leave and allowed the appeals, effectively restoring the interim injunction in favor of NHC.
T.S.J.Media Private Limited v.Boston Analytics Private Limited
T.S.J.Media Private Limited filed a suit alleging that Boston Analytics Private Limited illegally harvested substantial portions of information from its proprietary database, which tracks investments made by Private Equity and Venture Capitalists in India. The plaintiff claimed this infringement occurred after the defendant gained access under false pretenses. The court found that the defendant's act of publishing the data without permission constituted a clear violation of copyright.
Abhishek Kumar v.Union Of India Through Registrar Of Copyrights & Ors.
Abhishek Kumar filed a petition under Section 50 of the Copyright Act seeking to expunge the copyright registration of the 'Turbo Plus' label, which was registered as an artistic work. The petitioner also sought the suspension of this registration's effect to protect against potential infringement threats. Given the ongoing proceedings before the Trademark Registry regarding the cancellation of a search certificate, the court renotified the matter for further hearing.
Bennett Coleman Co Ltd v.Whatsappinc & Ors.
Bennett Coleman Co Ltd filed a suit against Whatsappinc and others alleging widespread unauthorized circulation and distribution of its proprietary e-newspapers. The plaintiff asserted that their published news articles, available through subscription on their websites, constitute original literary works protected under copyright law. Given the evidence presented regarding illegal dissemination via platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, the Delhi High Court granted an interim injunction in favor of Bennett Coleman Co Ltd.
Dr.S.Vijaya Bharati (Deceased) v.Mr.T.S.Ramalingam (Deceased)
The suit was filed by Dr.S.Vijaya Bharati (Deceased) against Mr.T.S.Ramalingam (Deceased) and others for infringement of copyright concerning the literary work "Amaran Kadhai". After nearly a decade, the parties entered into a compromise agreement.
Shamoil Ahmad Khan v.Falguni Shah And 3 Ors
The plaintiff, a writer, filed a notice of motion seeking temporary injunction against the defendants for telecasting or adapting their web series titled 'Singardaan', claiming both copyright infringement and passing off. The plaintiff alleged that the defendants copied not only the title but also the entire plot and characters from his original story. The court ultimately decided to set aside the request for a full injunction, directing the parties toward trial while imposing interim restraints.
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