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Delhi High Court Vs. Rakshit Shetty: Actor fined for Copyright Infringement


Delhi High Court has ordered Rakshit Shetty, owner of Paramvah Studios and a well-known actor in Kannada film industry, to pay a substantial fine of Rs 20 lakhs for having used songs from MRT Music without proper authorization in his film called Bachelor Party. This follows a copyright infringement case filed by MRT Music, specifically one of its partners Naveen Kumar claiming that Paramvah Studios used music from movies like Nyaya Ellide and Gaalimaathu without authorization.

Rakshit Shetty and Paramvah studios had their day in court as well as across social media platforms. On July 15, 2024 they posted an open letter on Instagram alleging claims by MRT Music that it was demanding exorbitant fees just because Bachelor Party briefly featured some songs whose rights it claimed to own. However, as Shetty and his studio failed to appear before the court the Delhi High Court served them notice while ordering the removal of the specific social media post.

At the last hearing on August 12th this year, Hon’ble Judge passed an order directing Rakshit Shetty to compensate MRT Music with Rs20 lakhs for unauthorized use of two tracks. This decision emphasizes strict observance of copyright laws within the film industry.

In the Sandalwood industry, Rakshit Shetty is a prominent member who has recently finished production of his forthcoming movie “Richard Anthony” in which he has also featured as the director and main actor. However, despite the law setback, Shetty is one of the biggest names in the country and an influential figure behind many hit films produced under his banner Paramvah Studios. Released theatrically in January 2024 and then via Amazon Prime in March of that same year, Bachelor Party is at the center of this dispute.

This occurrence comes after another such incident involving a song from Thaikkudam Bridge, Kerala-based music band where 2022 national award-winning film Kantara was accused of copying ‘Varaha Roopam’.



( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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