A temporary injunction issued in Kerala prevents makers of the Kannada film, Kantara, from using the song ‘Varaha Roopam’ in theatres and streaming platforms, according to a LiveLaw report. The court passed the order while hearing a suit filed by a Kerala-based rock music band— Thaikkudam Bridge, the report added. Why it matters: The suit argued that similarities between the two songs were neither “incidental” nor “superficial” but were substantial, LiveLaw reported. It may be a case of conscious plagiarism resulting in copyright infringement under the Copyright Act, 1957, and the band’s lawyer suggested that the case shall develop into a landmark case in the field of music copyright. It is important to keep a track of this case as verdicts in such cases serve as a barometer of where the conversation on copyright laws is headed. Furthermore, they also offer a crucial precedent for cases in the future. What did the suit allege: The band alleged that the song had been plagiarised from a song in their catalogue titled— Navarasam— released in 2015. You can listen to the song here. Where was the order passed: The ad-interim order was by the Principal District Court at Kozhikode. The news website revealed that a copy of the detailed order has not been uploaded yet. Thaikkudam Bridge’s counsel, Satish Murthi, said that the court found prima facie evidence of similarities between the songs, Deccan Herald reported. “It also took notice of the admission of the film’s music composer that he was inspired…
