ISKCON fined for copyright violation

[suchandra]

http://www.indiaenews.com/art-culture/20070320/43857.htm

From correspondents in Delhi, India, 12:36 AM IST March 20, 2007

 

<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-5845174433140955"; google_ad_width = 160; google_ad_height = 600; google_ad_format = "160x600_as"; google_ad_type = "text"; //2007-02-05: IndiaeNews.com 160x600 TXT google_ad_channel = "0976921161"; google_color_border = "FFFFFF"; google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; google_color_link = "004898"; google_color_text = "333333"; google_color_url = "FFFFFF"; //--> The Delhi High Court Monday imposed a fine of Rs.50,000 on the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) for copyright violation in staging Ram Leela, the traditional play on the life of Hindu Lord Ram, based on the script of a cultural organisation.

In his decree order, Justice A.K. Sikri held the ISKCON guilty of violating the Copyright Act and asked it to pay Rs.50,000 as compensation within four weeks after it staged Ram Leela based on the script of the capital-based Sriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra.

In April 2006, the Kala Kendra had filed a petition before the high court seeking compensation of Rs.200,000 from the ISKCON for staging the play on the same script at its temple premises here during a festival.

The ISKCON had hired some artistes, who had been sacked by the Kala Kendra, to stage the play, said the petition.

The script of the play was specially written for the shows at the Kala Kendra and was a unique artistic creation, it had contended. Staging of such a play violated various sections of the Copyright Act, it had said.

However, after fighting a legal battle before the bench for a year, both the ISKCON and the Kala Kendra had prayed for an out-of-court settlement.

The court directed the Kala Kendra to donate the amount of the fine in two weeks to the Delhi government, as prayed by both parties, towards mid-day meal expenditure in schools.