Bombay HC ordered ‘Maha Movie’ & ‘Manoranjan TV’ to abstain from broadcasting Zee-owned films

In the month of July 2020, the entertainment media giant, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) moved the Bombay High Court to restrain the television channels viz “Maha Movie” and “Manoranjan TV” from broadcasting its films namely “Jung” (1996) starring renowned films stars Mithun Chakraborthy, Ajay Devgan, Aditya Pancholi, and others and “Kartavya” (1979) staring renowned films stars Dharmendra, Rekha, Aruna Irani and others, without obtaining license from ZEEL for the same.

Maha Movie” is a television channel owned by Teleone Consumer Products Pvt. Ltd. and “Manoranjan TV” is a television channel owned by Creative Channel Advertising and Marketing Pvt. Ltd.

The matter was heard by His Lordship the Hon’ble Mr. Justice K.R. Shriram on 16^th July, 2020 where ZEEL submitted that in the end of June, 2020, it learnt that the Teleone Consumer Products Pvt. Ltd. and Creative Channel Advertising and Marketing Pvt. Ltd., were broadcasting both the films on their respective television channels without authorization from ZEEL. Upon collecting data from the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), ZEEL learnt that the film “Jung” has been broadcasted thirty-seven times and “Kartavya” thirty two times on “Maha Movie”, and the film “Jung” has been broadcasted forty two times and “Kartavya” nine times, on “Manoranjan TV” till July 2, 2020.

The Hon’ble Court held that unauthorized broadcast/exploitation of the suit films on the said TV channels is a violation of the copyright vested in ZEEL and passed a temporary order and injunction restraining Teleone Consumer Products Pvt. Ltd. and Creative Channel Advertising and Marketing Pvt. Ltd., (a) acting by themselves or any others from broadcasting any and/or both the films and/or any audio or video clip thereof on any platform and/or any other mode or medium, (b) acting by themselves or any others from in any manner creating, alienating and/or transferring rights in the suit films, and (c) to suspend any and/or all future broadcast(s) of the suit films. LiveLaw