A Bihar court has passed a landmark interim order reinforcing that no cinematograph film, music catalogue, sound recording, underlying work, or proprietary film library can be commercially exploited, licensed, repurposed, monetised, or utilised without the explicit consent of the rightful producer and owner, according to Asian News International (ANI).
The Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division)-I, Katihar, granted interim protection to Puja Entertainment in a dispute against Tips Music Limited and other parties over the alleged unauthorised exploitation of films, music rights and related intellectual property (IP). In its May 6 order, the court directed parties to maintain status quo over the disputed works, observing that the absence of immediate relief could cause serious and irreparable injury to the plaintiff’s statutory and proprietary rights.
What happened in the case: The case concerns IP rights linked to several Puja Entertainment films, including Coolie No.1, Hero No.1, Biwi No.1, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Tera Jadoo Chal Gayaa, and Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai. Puja Entertainment approached the court after alleging continued unauthorised exploitation, dissemination, monetisation and commercial use of its films, music catalogues, sound recordings and underlying works across streaming, broadcasting and digital platforms.
The court subsequently directed all parties to maintain status quo concerning the disputed films and associated rights. The proceedings also directly concern Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, an upcoming film starring Varun Dhawan, whose proposed release and commercial exploitation remain subject to the interim order while the matter is pending adjudication.
Puja Entertainment Founder hails order: Speaking to ANI, Vashu Bhagnani, founder of Puja Entertainment, called the interim order “a victory for our producers” and said the dispute began in 2018 when the company sought to reclaim rights to songs from older films. Recalling conversations around the use of Chunnari Chunnari, Bhagnani said, “They asked if I had the rights for ‘Chunnari Chunnari’ and other songs. I said, ‘Yes’.”
He further alleged that the song was later used without discussion, adding, “I was pushed to go to court.” Calling royalties a “very serious issue”, Bhagnani said producers invest first in films and should continue earning from music, video and digital rights. “The producer should get royalties as well,” he said, adding that he hoped “50 or more producers should come with me and stand together” on the issue.
Tips denies wrongdoing, says it is the lawful owner: Tips Music Limited has denied allegations made by Puja Entertainment and said it is the “lawful owner of the music rights in question”, backed by “valid and binding agreements between the parties”. In a statement, the company said it had “openly and legitimately exploited these rights for nearly three decades” in compliance with the law. Tips further claimed the allegations were “malicious” and “misconceived”, and said it would take “all necessary legal steps” to defend its ownership rights.
Why this matters: India’s film and music libraries are now valuable digital assets, generating steady revenue across streaming, broadcasting and digital platforms that barely existed when most of these rights agreements were first signed. Disputes over ownership and revenue-sharing are becoming more frequent as old catalogues find new commercial life on OTT and digital platforms.
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