The Delhi High Court has asked Saregama India Ltd, accused by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd of infringing its copyright, to deposit Rs 20 lakh for playing and allowing users to download songs of 29 movies from its websites for the time being.
The Zee firm has moved the court alleging its copyright over songs of 29 movies has been violated by Saregama India Ltd by playing the songs and allowing internet users to download them.
Taking note of the plea, Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw issued the notice to Saregama India Ltd on the plea of Zee company.
The court, however, refrained from granting any interim stay for the time being and said, “Subject to defendant (Saregama India) depositing in this court a sum of Rs 20 lakh and to which the senior counsel of the defendant agree, I am at this stage refraining from granting the said injunction.”
It further said that “subject to the said deposit, though Saregama till the next date of hearing shall be entitled to stream the said music on its websites and to permit download thereof as is being done, it shall not be entitled to grant any new of fresh licences with respect to the said works.”
Senior advocates Sandeep Sethi and Pratibha M Singh, appearing for Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, said that the company has the copyright and exclusive broadcasting rights for these movies and alleged that Saregama India Ltd has exploited their rights by indulging in such activities without taking any license or permission from them.
While seeking to restrain Saregama India, they said that Zee firm became aware of the “unlawful act in illegally exploiting/licensing the rights in sound recordings contained in the film ‘Andha Kanoon'”.
The Zee company, in its plea filed through advocate Sudeep Chatterjee and Jaya Mandelia, said Saregama India has been misrepresenting itself to be the owners/copyright holders of the sound recordings as well as audio visuals of such songs incorporated in 29 movies, including Mausam, Maang Bharo Sajana, Upsana and Shadeed, the rights of which exclusively vest with it.
The court has now fixed the matter for further hearing on January 24, 2017.
( Source – PTI )
