Summary: The Delhi High Court has stopped the sale of the "Allez-y" book series, ruling that it copies Preeti Bhutani's works, including the "Petits Pas" series.
On December 24, 2025, the Delhi High Court decided in favor of Preeti Bhutani, who said Goyal Publishers copied her French language books. The issue started when Bhutani, a French teacher and author, found out that Goyal Publishers released the "Allez-y" series, which she claimed were copies of her books "Petits Pas" and others.
Preeti Bhutani argued that she was the original writer of the "Petits Pas" series, published with agreements with Goyal Publishers since 2008. These agreements recognized her rights as the author, but she never received any payments. The conflict grew when she noticed similarities between her books and the "Allez-y" series, which were published by Goyal with different authors listed.
The case took a legal turn when Bhutani asked the court to temporarily stop the sale of the "Allez-y" series. Initially, a judge who was not part of the court denied her request, saying her failure to ask for payments was a reason. However, this judge did agree that there was copying involved.
"The Arbitrator found that there was word-for-word copying of many parts from the original work," noted the court.
Judge Jyoti Singh overturned the earlier decision, emphasizing that protecting a writer's work should not depend on whether they asked for payments. The court found that Bhutani's works had been copied a lot, and thus, she deserved protection.
The court's decision stops Goyal Publishers from selling the "Allez-y" series, until more decisions are made. This ruling highlights the importance of respecting an author's rights, regardless of business deals like payment agreements.
"Asking for payment was a business choice but that cannot take away the right of an author to protect their work," the court concluded.
This case shows how important it is to protect authors' rights in the publishing world and sets an example for authors defending their creative works.
