Mysore-based, US NRI film production associates took Hollywood studio giant Twentieth Century Fox

Mysore, January O2, 2005
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

The mysore-based nri film production associates, copyright owner of extra terrestrial mission (etm), has appealed before the mysore district court to hear on a day-to-day trial basis the alleged copyright violation case of independence day, produced and exhibited by twentieth century fox. the court has also been requested to conclude the suit on a permanent injunction within the next three months. however, the case has been adjourned for january 2, 2002. nri associates had filed the case of copyright infringement in the district court in november 1998. the latter, however, rejected the application for a temporary injunction. the associates later appealed to the karnataka high court, which turned down the district court's observations and conclusions on the temporary injunction and ordered that permanent injunction be speedily concluded at the trial court within six months, as per the july 1999 order.

Why had the production firm moved the mysore court when the issue has international ramifications? as per the copyright act, the affected party has the right to move the court anywhere in the world, considering the problems the party might have to put forth in attending to such cases, a senior lawyer argued. the petition, moved by senior advocate nagaraj on behalf of the associate, maintained that twentieth century fox had produced and released independence day in 1996. it had originally been written and created by veda nayak, a us resident and native of mysore. however, the screenplay was credited to dean devlin and roland emmerich. in 1985-86, the original screenplay was copyrighted in the us, in accordance with the copyright law. veda nayak, working for nri production associates, was interested in converting his screenplay to a motion picture and had discussed the story with a number of producers, entertainment agents and lawyers in the us, the petition said. however, the film producers allegedly copied the original screenplay etm in pith and substance with colourable variations to conceal the plagiarism. by producing the film, fox not only violated veda nayak's intellectual property rights in his original screenplay etm, but also scuttled his effort to make etm as a motion picture