Netflix series Betaal’s release gets appease by Bombay HC
Netflix released Betaal series for Audience
The plea claiming the Netflix horror series Betaal was allegedly based on a unique screenplay Vetaal was filed by screenwriters Sameer Wadekar and Mahesh Gosavi by advocate Viraj Kadam against Netflix and Red Chillies Entertainment in the Bombay High Court.
However, Bombay High Court on Friday dismissed the plea of infringement of copyright. Netflix and Red Chillies Entertainment released the Netflix horror series Betaal worldwide.
Claims of the Plea filed:
● The screenplay Vetaal was supposed to be a Marathi function movie and so the story had been copyrighted in 2015 with the Copyright Office in Delhi.
● The script was registered with Screenwriter's Association in March 2018.
The plea further appealed that, with the release of Betaal’s trailer on May 7, the plaintiffs found glaring similarities with their script and synopsis posted on Netflix website gave them further indication.
On the other side, Red Chillies Entertainment, co-producer of Betaal by advocate Hiren Kamod opposed the plea saying, Betaal internet series can by no stretch of creativeness be termed as both adaption or replica of the plaintiffs work or its substantial components and that there was no similarity both within the idea, narration, association, characters, properties and so forth as alleged.
In addition, senior counsel Sharan Jagtiani of Netflix submitted that Betaal internet series was initially designed with no information or reference of the plaintiff's screenplay. And further argued that resemblance highlighted by the plaintiffs are mere theory that are general and do not need any copyright-able components.
After taking the note of submissions, a single bench of Justice Okay R Shriram refused to grant interim reduction to remain until the May 24 release of Betaal. And granted liberty to the plaintiffs to amend the plea to incorporate declares and damages.
