Home / Arts and Entertainment / Court Dismisses Film Plagiarism Claim Against CBFC
Court Dismisses Film Plagiarism Claim Against CBFC
30 Apr
Summary
- Court ruled CBFC isn't responsible for investigating script theft claims.
- Plagiarism claims are copyright law issues, not CBFC's duty.
- Filmmakers must prove script ownership via a full civil suit trial.
The Karnataka High Court has dismissed a filmmaker's plea alleging that the movie 'Dhurandhar 2' was plagiarized from his script. The court ruled that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) bears no statutory duty to investigate claims of script theft prior to issuing a film certificate. This significant ruling clarifies that disputes over script plagiarism are fundamentally issues of copyright law, not a matter for the film certification board.
The court emphasized that such claims constitute a private proprietary rights dispute between the creator and the filmmakers. To pursue such a case, the petitioner must prove rightful ownership of the original script, demonstrate that the filmmakers had access to it, and show substantial similarity between the script and the film. These complex issues, the court noted, must be resolved through a full-fledged civil suit trial.
The CBFC's role, governed by the Cinematograph Act, is to ensure films are appropriate for general viewing and uphold public morals. Its vision is to provide good and healthy entertainment. The certification granted is an expert opinion, and the board is not a specialized forum for adjudicating private proprietary rights disputes or script title claims.
