The Kerala High Court has made a significant decision by quashing a criminal case filed against the producer, director, distributor, and music director of the popular Kannada film "Kantara." This case was brought under the Copyright Act and revolved around the alleged plagiarism of the song "Navarasam," originally by the Thykkudam Bridge band, in the movie as "Varaharoopam."
The court's ruling effectively puts an end to the legal dispute, as it recognizes a settlement between the involved parties. This decision brings relief to the creators of "Kantara" and puts an end to the criminal charges they were facing due to the copyright infringement allegations.
Copyright disputes in the entertainment industry are not uncommon, and they can have significant legal and financial ramifications. In this case, the parties involved were able to reach a settlement, which ultimately led to the criminal case being quashed. It underscores the importance of finding amicable solutions to such disputes through negotiation and compromise, rather than resorting to protracted legal battles. This outcome marks a positive development for the entertainment industry and the protection of intellectual property rights.
The High Court has invalidated the FIR filed under Section 63 of the Copyright Act, 1957. This decision was made in light of a settlement reached between the petitioners, the creators of "Kantara," and Mathrubhumi Printing and Publishing Ltd., who filed the complaint. Mathrubhumi Printing and Publishing Ltd. holds the copyright for the song "Navarasam."
Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan has annulled all criminal proceedings against the film's producer, Vijay Kirgandur; the film's director, Rishabh Shetty; the film's distributor in Kerala, Prithviraj Sukumaran; and the song's composer, Ajaneesh Loknath. This decision was made as all disputes were resolved through a settlement agreement between the parties.
The Court, in its decision to quash the criminal proceedings, drew upon key judgments from the Supreme Court, including "State of Madhya Pradesh v Laxmi Narayan and Others (2019)," "Gian Singh v. State of Punjab and another (2012)," and "Narinder Singh and others v. State of Punjab and another (2014)." This reference to these cases allowed the Court to utilize its authority under Section 482 of the CrPC to dismiss the proceeding
TAGS: Court decision Apex Court judgments State of Madhya Pradesh v Laxmi Narayan Gian Singh v. State of Punjab.
