Satyajit Ray is the original copyright holder of Nayak, says Delhi High Court

Delhi High Court has declared the late Satyajit Ray, the renowned filmmaker as the first owner of the copyright for the screenplay of the 1966 Bengali film Nayak. Justice C Hari Shankar delivered the ruling on Tuesday, emphasising Ray’s right to novelize the screenplay. The court also emphasised  the subsequent assignment of those rights to his son and others after his demise. 

The court’s decision came in response to a plea by the film’s producers, RDB and Co., seeking an injunction against HarperCollins, a publishing house, from releasing the novelization of the film’s screenplay. However, Justice Hari Shankar rejected the plea, stating that the assignment of novelization rights to Sandip Ray and the Satyajit Ray Society of Artists (SPSRA) was entirely lawful and in accordance with copyright legislation. RDB and Co. contended that Ray was commissioned by RD Bansal, the Karta of RDB & Co., to write the screenplay and direct the film Nayak. They alleged that the novelization of the screenplay by Bhaskar Chattopadhyay and its subsequent publication by HarperCollins amounted to copyright infringement under Section 51 of the Copyright Act. 

Upon careful examination of the case, Justice Hari Shankar determined that, as the screenplay’s author, Ray was the original copyright holder. The court firmly rejected the argument that the producer automatically owns the copyright to the screenplay, stating that the contention lacked legal merit. In light of these findings, Justice Hari Shankar concluded that the plaintiff had no legal right to seek an injunction against the defendant’s publication of the novelization of the film’s screenplay. 

Lawyer team to represent both the parties

Representing the producer were advocates Hemant Daswani, Siddhant Shrivastava, and Sarabpreet Singh, while HarperCollins was represented by Obhan & Associates. The legal team for HarperCollins included Ms Swathi Sukumar, Ms Ashima Obhan, Ms Taarika Pillai, Naveen Nagarjuna, and Tarini Sahai. This verdict has significant implications for copyright ownership in the film industry and reinforces the importance of recognizing the original author’s right in the creative process. The ruling highlights the enduring legacy of Satyajit Ray and his invaluable contributions to the world of cinema.