Supreme Court
Supreme Court Quashes Criminal Proceedings Against Filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh In 'Kahani 2' Copyright Case
The Supreme Court on Friday quashed criminal proceedings against filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh in a copyright infringement case relating to the film “Kahani 2," setting aside the summoning order issued against him by the CJM Hazaribagh and the subsequent refusal of the Jharkhand High Court to quash the case.A bench of Justices Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, while allowing Ghosh's petition, said:“In the result, the summoning order dated 07.06.2018 passed by the CJM and order dated...
Supreme Court Directs Status Quo In Zenlab-Latros Pharmaceuticals Trademark Dispute Over “ZENOVIT”
The Supreme Court recently directed the parties to maintain the status quo in a trademark dispute between Zenlab India and Latros Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., while asking the trial court to expeditiously decide the pending suits. A bench of Justices Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Alok Aradhe passed the order while allowing an appeal filed by Zenlab challenging a judgment of the Bombay High Court dated February 16, 2022, which had granted an injunction in favour of Latros. “In view of above,...
Supreme Court Reserves Verdict In Filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh's Plea To Quash Copyright Case Over Film Kahaani 2
The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its judgment in a plea filed by filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh seeking the quashing of criminal proceedings alleging copyright infringement in connection with the film Kahaani 2, which was declined by the Jharkhand High Court. A bench of Justices Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Alok Aradhe heard the matter and reserved the verdict. Earlier, on July 2, 2025, the court issued notice and granted interim relief by dispensing with Ghosh's personal appearance before...
Supreme Court Stays Madras HC Order Reviving Sreedevi Video-Saregama Dispute Over Tamil Telugu Film Music
The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed a Madras High Court order that had revived an injunction claim in a copyright dispute between SaReGaMa India Ltd and Sreedevi Video Corporation over the audio rights of iconic Tamil and Telegu films such as Sagara Sangamam, Salangai Oli and Shankara Bharanam. The High Court had held that although Sreedevi's plea seeking declaration of copyright was barred by limitation, its claim for permanent injunction could still be examined independently and remanded the...
Supreme Court Restores Breach-Of-Injunction Proceedings In 'HERO' Trademark Dispute Between Hero Cycles and Hero Ecotech
The Supreme Court recently revived proceedings for alleged breach of an injunction in the long-running “HERO” trademark dispute between Hero Cycles Limited and Hero Ecotech Limited. A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan set aside a September 3, 2025 judgment of the Patna High Court, which had quashed a 2019 trial court order directing initiation of contempt proceedings against Hero Ecotech and others for alleged breach of an injunction. The High Court had held that the trial...
Supreme Court To Examine If Civil Judge (Senior Division) As Commercial Court Can Hear Trademark Suits
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that it will examine whether a Commercial Court presided over by a Civil Judge (Senior Division) can entertain trademark infringement and passing-off suits in view of Section 134 of the Trade Marks Act. The court stayed further proceedings in a trademark infringement and passing-off suit pending before the Commercial Court at Jamshedpur. The issue arises from Section 134 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999, which governs the forum for filing trademark infringement...
Bata v. Crocs : Supreme Court Dismisses Pleas Of Footwear Makers Against Maintainability Of Crocs' Passing Off Suits Over Design Infringement
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the petition filed by Bata India Ltd and five other footwear manufacturers challenging the Delhi High Court's judgment which held that the suits filed by Crocs Inc.USA alleging passing off over the infringement of the latter's footwear designs registered under the Designs Act were maintainable.A bench comprising Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Alok Aradhe refused to interfere with the Delhi High Court Division Bench's ruling of July 1 that a passing off...
Supreme Court Transfers Eureka Forbes' Patent Infringement Suit Against Atomberg's “Intellon” Water Purifier To Bombay High Court
The Supreme Court has transferred a patent infringement suit filed by Eureka Forbes Limited before the Delhi High Court to the Bombay High Court, where a related suit by Atomberg Technologies Private Limited for “groundless threat of infringement” is already pending.A bench of Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Justice Atul S Chandurkar allowed Atomberg's transfer petition and dismissing Eureka Forbes' counter-transfer petition.“In the interest of saving precious judicial time and to avoid...
Supreme Court Rejects Plea Of Ilaiyaraaja's Music Company To Transfer Sony's Suit From Bombay HC To Madras HC
The Supreme Court on Monday (July 28) dismissed a transfer petition filed by music maestro Ilaiyaraaja's 'Ilaiyaraaja Music N Management Pvt Ltd' (IMMA) seeking to transfer the copyright infringement suit filed against it by Sony Music Entertainment India Pvt Ltd from the Bombay High Court to the Madras High Court.The bench of CJI BR Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria heard the matter. The bench noted that Ilaiyaraaja's appeal in the Madras High Court was filed subsequent to...
Director Sujoy Ghosh Approaches Supreme Court To Quash Copyright Infringement Case Over "Kahaani 2" Film Script
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (July 2) issued notice on a petition filed by national award-winning scriptwriter and director Sujoy Ghosh seeking to quash a criminal case filed under Section 63 of the Copyright Act, 1957, on the allegation that his movie "Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh" was based on a stolen script.A bench comprising Justice PS Narasimha and Justice R Mahadevan, while issuing notice to the State of Jharkhand and the complainant, allowed exemption to Ghosh from personal appearance...
PPL Copyright Issue | Third Parties Not Exempt From Paying License Fee To PPL Because Of Stay In Azure's Favour : Supreme Court
The Supreme Court recently clarified that its interim stay order dated April 21, 2025, in the dispute between Phonographic Performance Ltd. (PPL) and Azure Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. will apply only between the parties to the suit pending before the Delhi High Court and not to third parties.On April 21, 2025 the Supreme Court had stayed the direction of the Delhi High Court ordering Azure to pay PPL licence fees for playing its copyrighted sound recordings calculated as per the tariff of Recorded...
Supreme Court Rejects Challenging Validity Of Rule 29(4) Copyright Rules Requiring Prior Notice For Statutory Broadcast Licence
The Supreme Court rejected a plea challenging Rule 29(4) of the Copyright Rules, 2013, which sets out the specific particulars that broadcasters must include in the prior notice required for invoking the statutory licence under Section 31D of the Copyright Act, 1957.Section 31D provides for a statutory licence to broadcasters to communicate literary and musical works and sound recordings without requiring prior individual licences from copyright owners, subject to conditions including prior...