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7 Vand. J. Ent. L. & Prac. 259 (2004-2005)
Copyright Infringement in the Indian Film Industry

handle is hein.journals/vanep7 and id is 257 raw text is: Copyright Infringement in the Indian Film Industry By Rachana Desai On July 7, 1896, India's first India, unlike America, has several cinematographic film was shown in film industries. This Note focuses on the Mumbai.1 Today, India's mammoth film largest of these industries: Bollywood, the industry produces more movies than any center of Hindi language cinema. In recent other country in the world and employs years, nearly eight out of every ten over two million people.2 In 2001, India's Bollywood scripts have been inspired by entertainment industry (which includes one or more Hollywood films.7 Previously, film, music, television, radio and live this widespread problem was not visible to entertainment) was one of the fastest those outside of India. The emergence of growing sectors of the economy, the Internet and better global experiencing over a 30% growth.3 Cable communications, however, have made television generated the most revenue, Westerners more aware of the cultural copy followed by television broadcasting, film situation in India. In 2003, best-selling and television production.4 The film fiction writer Barbara Taylor Bradford brought a copyright infringement To date, no Hollywood suit against Sahara studio has attempted to Television for allegedly enforce its copyrights making a ~television against Bollywood series out of her book, A Woman of Substance.8 industry, on average, produces After winding through the legal system, the approximately 1,000 movies annually,5 sells Indian Supreme Court refused to uphold a about six billion tickets and grosses more lower court injunction against Sahara and than $72 billion globally.6 Until recently, allowed the television show to go on the air.9 however, the Indian film industry received Bradford, although frustrated by her loss, very little international acknowledgment. chose not to pursue the matter further.10 This lack of recognition may have In light of this case, the following contributed to the longstanding practice of question arises: what implications does the producing cultural copies, as opposed to Bradford case have for the protection of original works. A cultural copy is nearly a foreign copyrights in India? To date, no direct copy of a movie or other work from Hollywood studio has attempted to enforce one cultural to another. its copyrights against Bollywood.1 With the attention garnered by the Bradford case and

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