#Copyright Act

The court held that mobile phone accessories are functional commercial hardware, not 'artistic works' eligible for copyright protection, quashing an FIR filed under the Copyright Act. It further ruled that police searches for trademark violations require prior Registrar opinion and a DSP-rank officer under the Trade Marks Act, rendering the search and seizure procedurally invalid. The decision clarifies the copyright-trademark boundary and enforces statutory safeguards against misuse of criminal IP enforcement.

The Supreme Court quashed criminal proceedings for copyright infringement, emphasizing that mere allegations without demonstrable similarity between works fail to establish a prima facie case. The ruling underscores that concealing expert reports finding no resemblance constitutes abuse of process, protecting creators from frivolous litigation.

The Madras High Court ruled that dubbing a film into another language does not confer satellite broadcast rights unless explicitly assigned in the agreement. Producers holding only theatrical rights cannot restrain satellite telecasts, reinforcing the need for clear contractual delineation of rights under the Copyright Act, 1957.

Bombay High Court holds that ticketed commercial events like Bollywood Diwali Tamasha do not qualify for exemption under Section 52(1)(za) of the Copyright Act, 1957.