Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) India has taken legal steps against comedian Kapil Sharma and Netflix regarding copyright issues tied to his show, The Great Indian Kapil Show. The organization alleges that three popular songs were used without permission in the third season of the show, which aired from June to September this year.
According to a report, PPL claims that the episodes included hit tracks such as “M Bole To” from Munna Bhai MBBS (2003), “Rama Re” from Kaante (2002), and “Subha Hone Na De” from Desi Boyz (2011). They argue that the use of these songs constitutes “public performance/communication to the public” under the Indian Copyright Act, meaning a license was needed for their use. PPL contends that neither the producers nor Netflix obtained this necessary permission.
In the lawsuit, PPL pointed out that the show is recorded in front of a live audience, where the songs can be heard clearly before it is streamed on Netflix. This live performance aspect is cited as increasing the breach of copyright. Prior to filing the suit, PPL sent a cease-and-desist notice to the show’s creators in early November, but alleges that the response they received was insufficient and did not stop the continued use of the music.
PPL is asking the High Court to prevent the use of their copyrighted music without a proper license, disclose any profits made from this unauthorized use, and potentially appoint a court receiver to seize the infringing materials. The case is set to appear in the commercial division of the Bombay High Court soon.
As of now, representatives for Kapil Sharma, Netflix, and the production companies have not provided any comments on the matter.
