FIR against hotel for copyright violation of Bollywood songs

The Juhu police have booked Novotel Hotel facing Juhu beach for copyright violation after Bollywood songs were played at its New Year celebrations without obtaining a public performance licence from the copyright holder.

Novex Communications, the authorised copyright holder for Zee Music, Shemaroo and Yash Raj Music, had filed a complaint against the hotel in the Andheri court after it came to their attention that songs from three films were played on the premises on December 31, 2015, without obtaining permission. The police said the alleged infringement came to light as N Gopalkrishnan, the firm’s general manager, was present at the party. He made a mobile phone recording of the songs being played there.

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On May 10, the court directed the police to file an FIR against the hotel. An officer at the Juhu police station confirmed that the hotel’s general manager, Tejas Jose, had been booked for “cheating with knowledge of causing wrongful loss to a person”, and also under the Copyright Act.

A spokesperson from Novex said, “We had intimated the hotel and the manager a number of times, but they did not take the required licence.”

The hotel did not respond to queries. A representative of the hotel said Jose was on a holiday and could not be reached.