In a recent court case, Sun TV Network Ltd. took on Asianet Digital Network Pvt. Ltd. over copyright infringement. The court, led by Judge N. Senthilkumar, ruled in favor of Sun TV, awarding them significant damages.
Sun TV Network Ltd. filed a commercial lawsuit against Asianet Digital Network Pvt. Ltd., claiming that Asianet had used their copyrighted films without permission. The films in question were "Lelam," "How Old Are You," and "Karinkunnam Sixes." Sun TV wanted to stop Asianet from showing these films without permission.
Sun TV asked the court for several things:
The court proceedings were quite straightforward. Asianet did not show up in court, so the case continued without them. Sun TV presented evidence through Mr. M. Jyothi Basu, who was examined as a witness. They provided 17 documents and a CD showing the infringement.
The evidence included agreements showing Sun TV had the rights to the films, payment proofs, and a warning notice sent to Asianet. Asianet's response to the notice was weak, claiming they had rights to show the films on cable TV without proof.
Judge N. Senthilkumar ruled that Sun TV had successfully proven their case. The court ordered Asianet to pay ₹1 crore in damages and cover the legal costs.
"The defendant broadcasted the films without obtaining any valid license or permission from the plaintiff." - Judge N. Senthilkumar
The court decided that Asianet had wrongly shown Sun TV's films without permission. As a result, Asianet was ordered to pay ₹1 crore in damages and cover Sun TV's legal costs.
