Knight Riders taken to court for alleged copyright violation

KOLKATA: Shah Rukh Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders was on Wednesday taken to court by Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS) on alleged copyright infringement for playing songs of Hindi films at the Eden Gardens during IPL matches.
    
Justice Sanjib Banerjee of the Calcutta High Court, however, refused to grant an injunction on the use of the songs and directed the parties in the case to file affidavits stating their position.
    
IPRS alleged that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) used 14 popular Hindi film songs like Om Shanti Om's 'Dard-e-Disco' and 'Mauja hi Mauja' from the film 'Jab We Met' without its permission during the IPL matches at the Eden.
    
Appearing for KKR, counsels Anindya Mitra and Debanjan Mondal submitted that they already had permission to play nine of the 14 songs at the stadium from Super Cassettes, which they said had the copyright.
    
Justice Banerjee directed KKR and the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), which has also been made a party in the case, to file affidavits in opposition within two weeks after the summer vacation and IPRS its reply in another week.
    
The matter would come up for hearing again in July.
    
In the new Twenty-20 format of the gentleman's game, popular songs are played in a carnival-like atmosphere at the stadia during any break in the game while pom pom girls perform live.