Mumbai Police Registers FIR Against Sundar Pichai, YouTube MD for Copy Right Infringement
(Judicial Quest News Network)
A First Information Report has been registered here on court’s order against Google, its CEO Sunder Pichai and YouTube Managing Director, Gautam Anand and five other employees of the company in an alleged copy right violation case, city police said on Wednesday.
Indian Film maker Suneel Darshan, famed for films like ‘Inteqaam’ and ‘Andaaz’ has filed a FIR alleging the copy right violation of his 2017 directorial ‘Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha’ on youTube.
The FIR was registered by Police pursuant to the order of the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate AA Panchbhai under section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code(CrPc).
The FIR was lodged for offences under section 51,63 and 69 of the Copyright Act 1957.
The Court in its orderd said that thereis aprima-facie case of infringement of the various copyright works as cited above, regarding which a complaint has been lodged with MIDC Police.The offecense are punishable under section63 r/w section 5 r/w 69 of the copy right Act.1957. which are cognizable.Hence it is necessary that such offences be investigated by the police. The Magistrate observed in its order.
The Complainant submitted that he did not did not upload the film anywhere or dell it to anyone, it is being profited from by manyYouTube channels. And the Google has refused to remove the film from those channels.
Darshan in his complaint filed throughAdvocate Aditya Chitale submitted that Google and YouTube has garnered billions of views after being illegally uploaded the said film and is generating revenue of which he is not a beneficiary.
He further said that he had filed several complaints with YouTube but action was taken till date.
The Magistrate in his order said that piracy and Copyright infringrmrnt has become a menace due to rapid advancement of technology and it causes huge los of money to film and television Industry
Commericial exploitation ion the garb of fair use also heede to be prevented The Court said.
Other accused apart fromSunder Pichai and Gautam Anand include Google’s grievance officer and three executives of the corportationChaitanya Prabhu,Namratak Rajkumar and Pawan Agarwal.
