Studio Frowns on Bollywood ‘Button’: Disregard for Copyright Issues in India Essay (Article Review)

This article, posted on the 9^th of April 2009, sheds light on the disregard for copyright issues in India. It starts off by accusing Bollywood of copying concepts of famous Hollywood movies and remaking a local version of it.

Warner Bros. took the initiative of warning Bollywood not to copy off the hit Hollywood movie “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”. An advertisement was published in the local newspapers a week before the article was posted stating that legal action would be taken against anyone who does so. However, because of India’s lack of concern for copyright issues, the warning might not be taken very seriously.

Even Bollywood’s last year’s super hit “Ghajini”, starring Aamir Khan, was accused of being a remake of Hollywood’s “Memento”. However, this accusation was nullified by Director Murugadoss who claimed that “Ghajini” was simply a copy of his own Tamil film. In past, Indian Courts also have not shown much support for the foreign rights holders who try to sue the makers of Bollywood movies accused of copying theirs. In 2003, Barbara Taylor Bradford accused a local Indian TV serial of being copied heavily from her novel “A woman of Substance”. Nevertheless, she did not manage to succeed in the local courts.

However, there are some efforts being made. Sources say that a studio warning kept producers from remaking “The Departed”.

The end of the article talks about the long-term commitment that Warner Bros. has made towards stopping this trend of remaking movies in Bollywood. It wants to safeguard the intellectual property rights in its movies. The warning published in the local newspaper against the remake of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” was merely an effort to achieve that plan. Warner Bros. wants to ensure that the public in India experiences their movies in their original form, the way they were meant to be experienced.

In my opinion, Warner Bros. took a bold step in eradicating remakes of movies in Bollywood. Remakes, most of the time, take away the true essence of the movie. And even though some remakes might be better than the originals, it is still unethical to simply copy off somebody else’s months of hard work and earn revenue from it. There have been several cases where major Bollywood hits have actually been based on Hollywood movies. A few of them would be:

• “The Killer”(2006) had the same Plot and Storyline as “Collateral”(2004)
• “Krrish”(2006) copied the Plot, Scenes, and Setup from “Paycheck”(2003)
• “Rang De Basanti”(2006) copied the plot from “All My Sons”(1948)
• “Akele Hum Akele Tum”(1995) inspired by “Kramer vs. Kramer”(1979)
• And many more.

Copying elements from another movie is justified only if legal channels are used and the rights to do so should be bought or accessed from the original makers of the movies. Just like in other industries such as the car manufacturing industry, computer manufacturing industry, music industry, etc. every country should have standard rules and regulations followed and practiced. It is the responsibility of the government and legal authorities to make sure copyrights issues are taken care of. The Indian government should work with a broader vision. It must understand that forgoing short-term gains would result in a more prosperous “Bollywood” that is based on originality and hence, would lead to innovation.

Works Cited

Dore, Shalini. “Studio Frowns on Bollywood ‘Button’.” 2009. Variety. Web.

Bollywood producers used to “borrowing” from foreign films are being put on notice by Warner Bros.

The studio ran an ad in local newspapers last week warning anyone looking to remake “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” that it would take legal action.

Given India’s historic disregard for copyright issues, however, it’s hard to see such warnings having much deterrent value.

One of Bollywood’s biggest hits last year was Aamir Khan starrer “Ghajini,” a remake of “Memento” with song-and-dance routines thrown in. Director Murugadoss said the pic was simply a copy of his own Tamil film of the same name, despite having many similarities to “Memento.”

And Indian courts have not typically backed foreign rights holders in their legal claims. Barbara Taylor Bradford tried in 2003 to block a TV serial that borrowed heavily from her novel “A Woman of Substance” but lost in the local courts.

But inroads, however small, are being made.

Chander Lall, managing partner of the law office of Lall and Sethi and head of the Indian antipiracy unit of the Motion Picture Assn., says a studio warning scared off local producers planning an unauthorized remake of “The Departed.”

And, says a local Warner Bros. rep, the major studios need to maintain their vigilance.

“Warner Bros. has made a long-term commitment to the film industry in India and is determined to defend and protect the intellectual property rights in its movies. We took the step of publishing a notice regarding the possible unauthorized remake of ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ as part of that rigorous defense of our rights and to ensure that the filmgoing public in India experience our movies in the way they were intended.”