Supreme Court of India Dismisses Copyright Case Against Sujoy Ghosh Over Kahaani 2

In a notable decision, the Supreme Court of India has quashed criminal proceedings against filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh concerning copyright infringement allegations related to his 2016 film, Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh.

Details of the Case

The complaint was initiated by Umesh Prasad Mehta, who claimed that his script titled Sabak was unjustly appropriated for Kahaani 2. He alleged that he had shared his work with Ghosh in 2015. Following this claim, a magistrate court in Hazaribagh issued summons in 2018 under the Copyright Act. However, the Jharkhand High Court later refused to dismiss the case, asserting that it warranted a trial.

Supreme Court’s Observations

A Bench comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe noted that the complaint was lacking in substance and did not satisfactorily compare the two scripts. The court indicated that the allegations were vague and without merit, failing to show any substantial evidence of similarity.

Arguments Presented

In the proceedings at the Supreme Court, Ghosh was represented by Senior Advocate Siddhartha Dave, who contended that no material evidence supported the claims of script similarity. He argued that the ongoing legal action amounted to an improper use of the judicial process. The Supreme Court concurred with these arguments, stating that both the magistrate’s order and the High Court’s decision reflected inadequate judicial scrutiny.

Findings of the Dispute Settlement Committee

A pivotal aspect of the ruling was the conclusion reached by the Screen Writers Association’s Dispute Settlement Committee, which determined that there was no resemblance between the two works. The court noted that this vital information had previously not been disclosed to the magistrate at the time of issuing the summons.

Registration of Scripts

Furthermore, the Bench highlighted that Ghosh’s script for Kahaani 2 had been officially registered long before Mehta’s script was created, which undermined the claims of copyright infringement. The court reiterated the importance of protecting against frivolous or malicious litigation and stressed that the surrounding circumstances should be critically evaluated in similar cases to prevent the misuse of criminal law.

Conclusion of Proceedings

With the ruling, the Supreme Court nullified both the summons issued by the magistrate and the decision of the High Court, effectively concluding the legal proceedings pending in the trial court. Kahaani 2, starring Vidya Balan, Arjun Rampal, and Jugal Hansraj, is set as a spiritual sequel to the critically acclaimed 2012 film Kahaani, exploring themes of identity, crime, and hidden histories.

Long or Short, get news the way you like. No ads. No redirections. Download Newspin and Stay Alert, The CSR Journal Mobile app, for fast, crisp, clean updates!

App Store –  https://apps.apple.com/in/app/newspin/id6746449540 

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inventifweb.newspin&pcampaignid=web_share