Kapil Sharma, 'The Great Indian...' sued over song use
What's the story
Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) India has filed a lawsuit against comedian Kapil Sharma and the makers of The Great Indian Kapil Show, alleging the unauthorised use of songs in three episodes of the show's third season. The complaint was lodged at the Bombay High Court on December 12, accusing K9 Films Pvt Ltd and BeingU Studios Pvt Ltd, the production houses behind the show, of copyright infringement, according to Mid-Day.
Allegations
PPL India alleges unauthorized use of songs in episodes
PPL India claims that the use of three songs, Rama Re from Kaante (2002), M Bole Toh from Munna Bhai MBBS (2003), and Subha Hone Na De from Desi Boyz (2011), in episodes aired between June 21 and September 20 constitutes "public performance/communication to the public" under the Copyright Act, 1957. The organization argues that these uses require a license from the rights holder, which was neither sought nor granted.
Legal action
PPL India seeks court intervention in copyright infringement case
PPL India has urged the Bombay High Court to restrain the defendants from using its copyrighted sound recordings without a valid licence. The organization also wants the court to order disclosure of revenues earned through the alleged illegal use and appoint a court receiver to seize infringing material. The matter is likely to be heard by the Bombay High Court's commercial division.
Show's predicament
PPL had previously issued a cease-and-desist
Meanwhile, PPL India claims the above-mentioned songs were used in episodes that featured Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt and Suniel Shetty, and Akshay Kumar. Reportedly, the organization had previously issued a cease-and-desist notice to the producers on November 6 but claims only a holding reply was received with no action taken against the unauthorized use of their sound recordings.