Will defer release of series on Bal Shiv, Zee tells Bombay high court | Mumbai News – Times of India

MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment and Zee Studio on Friday informed Bombay high court that it will defer the August 31 release of its web series till September 15 following a high voltage hearing in a copyright claim filed by CL Saini, a writer, who says his mythological story was “ransacked’’ by the broadcasting network.
The network, denying any copyright infringement as claimed, however, said it will continue to show the promotion clips for the series including the deferred release date. Justice Gautam Patel said it could do so without claiming any rights later.
Saini who says he is known for his writing in the mythological genre filed a confidentiality and copyright infringement suit against Zee and two of its vertical heads alleging infringement of his copyright in their television and web series called Bal Shiv-Mahadev ki Andheki Gatha.
His senior counsel Venkatesh Dhond sought interim orders to restrain Zee network from infringing his confidentiality and copyright in his work ‘Baal Shiv’.
His contention is that in 2018 he conceptualised the idea of ‘Baal Shiv’ and contemplated making a television series on it.
He fleshed out the idea and “communicated it to the (network) under express confidence’’ as a “unique selling prospect as it is not contemplated at all in Indian mythology.’’
His suit alleges that Zee also took his “detailed script/story that was narrated’’ by him to their representatives.
For Zee, senior counsel Virag Tulzapurkar submitted that Saini had not given any written script or story. Tulzapurkar said the Zee team had already prior to his ‘narration’ begun working on the concept which itself he said not unique as claimed by Saini but has been seen in films some dating back to 1950s’ and 60s’ and in the public domain.
He said as is well known, there is no copyright in an idea and offered to show all the 100-odd episodes to Saini as well as the HC to prove that the content bears no resemblance to any story or script registered “later’’ by the writer.
On Thursday, Justice Gautam Patel had asked Zee to consider if they wish to defer the release date by two weeks to enable a detailed reply from them and a hearing on the issue, but the network’s counsel on instruction had said, “no statement can be made.’’
On Friday during the hearing, Justice Patel told the Zee counsel, “He (Saini) doesn’t have to show how you (Zee) got knowledge when it was submitted that the writer never shared his literary work with the network.”
At one point Justice Patel said to Tulzapurkar, “Your clients are being thoroughly unreasonable. I asked you to defer by two weeks so you can put in a reply.’’
Finally, when the court indicated that it would pass an interim order, Zee took time to confer and came back with the statement that it would defer its release by two weeks, during which it will file a detailed reply.
The HC gave Saini till September 8 to file a rejoinder and posted the matter for hearing on September 13 to decide on interim orders.