Surgical strike movie: Court asks film maker, author to settle copyright issue
New Delhi, Jan 4: A Delhi court Friday asked the makers of upcoming film 'Uri: The Surgical Strike' and the author of a book on the incident to explore the possibility to amicably settle the issue of copyright.
The complaint for alleged violation of copyright has been filed by Nitin A Gokhale, a journalist and author of the book, against the film's producer Ronnie Screwvala and director Aditya Dhar.
The lawyer for Screwvala and Dhar told Additional District Judge Gaurav Rao that there was no copyright on the facts and ideas.
A lot of information was in the public domain after the incident and mere similarities between the film and the book cannot be termed as copyright violation.
The book, 'Securing India - The Modi Way, Pathankot, Surgical Strikes And More', has talked about the aspects of the planning and execution of the surgical strikes, which the Indian Army conducted on terror launch pads across the Line of Control on September 29, 2016.
Gokhale's advocate told the court that the film infringed the copyright as the contents of the book were used without taking author's permission.
The court has posted the matter for further hearing on January 7. The movie is scheduled to be released on January 11.
The author has sought an order to stop the screening of the film without his consent and to delete the literary content of the book from the film.
During the hearing on Friday, the author's lawyer Neela Gokhale told the court that the facts used in movie's final script, including information about planning and strategy of the government, were lifted from the book.
"A lot of changes were made in their final script after my book was launched which were not in the first script of the movie. There was a substantial deviation from their first script after my book was published. A substantial portion is lifted from the book," the lawyer told the court.
The defence counsel opposed the complaint saying the facts were not copied from the book.
"Various changes were brought after experts suggested the same. It cannot be said that the changes in the first script and the last script of the film were based on the book," the counsel said.
The complaint alleged that the makers had infringed the copyright by reproducing and substantially copying the contents of the book into the film.
"The same has been done without taking any permission of the plaintiff or having been granted any licence to reproduce the work of the plaintiff in the form of the film as stated herein above. The defendants have violated the rights of the Plaintiff, despite a clear declaration and disclaimer in the Book," it said.
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Riyan Parag likely to be fined 25 percent of match fees for vaping inside dressing room
New Delhi (PTI): Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag is set to be fined 25 per cent of his match fee for bringing the game into "disrepute" after being caught vaping on camera during the IPL game against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur.
Parag's actions during the Royals' chase on Tuesday night drew condemnation on social media.
PTI has learned that on field umpires Tanmay Srivastava and Nitin Menon had not reported the matter to match referee Amit Sharma right after the game. They only did that after seeing visual proof and Sharma found Parag guilty for a code of conduct breach as per the IPL guidelines.
The Level 1 offences carries 25 per cent deduction from match fees and one demerit point.
"He is set to be fined a portion of his match fees and a demerit point for a Level 1 offence," said an IPL source.
The Indian government had banned e-cigarettes back in 2019, prohibiting their production, sale and distribution. As per the law, the offender faces imprisonment up to one year and/or a Rs one lakh fine for a first time offence.
"Article 2.21 of IPL Code of Conduct is intended to cover all types of conduct that bring the game into disrepute and which is not specifically and adequately covered by the specific offences set out elsewhere in this Code of Conduct, including Article 2.20," the IPL Code of Conduct states.
"By way of example, Article 2.21 may (depending upon the seriousness and context of the breach) prohibit, without limitation, the following: (a) public acts of misconduct; (b) unruly public behaviour; and (c) inappropriate comments which are detrimental to the interests of the game.
"When assessing the seriousness of the offence, the context of the particular situation, and whether it was deliberate, reckless, negligent, avoidable and/or accidental, shall be considered.
"Further, the person lodging the Report shall determine where on the range of severity the conduct lays (with the range of severity starting at conduct of a minor nature (and hence a Level 1 Offence) up to conduct of an extremely serious nature (and hence a Level 4 Offence)."
Since it is a Level 1 offence there was no need for a hearing.
Parag, who has not had the best of times with the bat this IPL, was seen inhaling an e-cigarette, also known as vaping, in the dressing room during the live broadcast of their game against Punjab Kings. Royals won the game to end Kings' unbeaten run in the tournament.
This is not the first controversy to hit the Royals this season. Earlier this month, team manager Romi Bhinder was fined Rs one lakh for breaching PMOA protocol after being found using his phone in the dugout.
IPL and BCCI officials involved in the conduct of the IPL termed it as a careless act in the age of social media and prying TV cameras.
Royals next host Delhi Capitals at home on Friday night.
