New Delhi: In a significant ruling, the Delhi High Court declared that the copyright to the screenplay of the renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s 1966 film ‘Nayak’ belongs to him, and following his demise, to his son Sandip Ray and the Society for the Preservation of Satyajit Ray Archives. The court emphasized that an author, commissioned by a film’s producer to write its screenplay, holds the primary ownership of the copyright. The decision was made during the hearing of a lawsuit filed by the family of the film’s producer, RD Bansal, who claimed that both the film and screenplay copyrights belonged to them.
The recognised master on its peak
Satyajit Ray, widely recognized as one of cinema’s greatest masters, passed away in 1992. ‘Nayak,’ also known as ‘Nayak: The Hero,’ starring Uttam Kumar and Sharmila Tagore, is a psychological drama set on a train that delves into the aspirations and struggles of the Bengali middle class in the 1960s, particularly their financial challenges and encounters with Marxism. The film received the Special Jury Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Ray himself wrote the story and screenplay for ‘Nayak,’ making it the second film for which he solely penned the script, following ‘Kanchenjungha’ in 1962.
Justice C Hari Shankar, in his ruling, stated, “Inexorably, the conclusion is that under Section 17 of the Copyright Act, Satyajit Ray, as the author of the screenplay of the film ‘Nayak,’ was the first owner of the copyright… The contention that the plaintiff is the owner of the copyright in the screenplay in the film ‘Nayak,’ therefore, cannot be accepted and is accordingly, rejected.”
The Bansal family had sought an injunction against HarperCollins from publishing and distributing a novelization of Ray’s screenplay for ‘Nayak’ in a 2018 novel by Bhaskar Chattopadhyay, claiming it infringed upon their copyright. However, HarperCollins argued that the copyright rightfully belonged to Satyajit Ray and, after his demise, to his son Sandip Ray and the Society for the Preservation of Satyajit Ray Archives (SPSRA).
Delhi High Court Upholds Satyajit Ray as the Sole Copyright Owner of the Film ‘Nayak’
Dismissing the Bansal family’s suit, Justice C Hari Shankar ruled that the producer’s family had no right to restrain the novelisation of the screenplay by third parties. The court acknowledged that the screenplay of the film was “entirely the work of Satyajit Ray,” with no contribution from the producer. The court further stated that Ray, as the author, held the initial copyright to the screenplay, and the right to novelise it was vested in him. The subsequent transfer of this right by his son and SPSRA to a third party was deemed legitimate.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court delivered a significant judgment, upholding the copyright ownership of the screenplay of Satyajit Ray’s acclaimed 1966 film ‘Nayak.’ The court ruled that the copyright initially belonged to Ray, and following his demise, it passed on to his son Sandip Ray and the Society for the Preservation of Satyajit Ray Archives (SPSRA). The court emphasized that as the author commissioned to write the screenplay by the film’s producer, Ray held the primary ownership rights. The verdict was pronounced during the hearing of a lawsuit filed by the family of the film’s producer, RD Bansal, who claimed the film’s copyright, as well as the screenplay, belonged to them.
Satyajit Ray, widely recognized as one of the greatest maestros of cinema, passed away in 1992. ‘Nayak,’ alternatively titled ‘Nayak: The Hero,’ features Uttam Kumar and Sharmila Tagore in a psychological drama set on a train, exploring the aspirations and struggles of the Bengali middle class in the 1960s, particularly their challenges with finances and encounters with Marxism. The film received the Special Jury Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Ray himself penned the story and screenplay for ‘Nayak,’ making it the second film for which he exclusively crafted the script, following ‘Kanchenjungha’ in 1962.
Justice C Hari Shankar, in his verdict, stated, “In accordance with Section 17 of the Copyright Act, it is evident that Satyajit Ray, as the author of the screenplay for the film ‘Nayak,’ was the initial copyright owner… Consequently, the claim that the plaintiff is the copyright owner of the screenplay in the film ‘Nayak’ cannot be accepted and is accordingly rejected.”
Dismissing the Bansal family’s claim, Justice C Hari Shankar ruled that the producer’s family had no authority to restrain third parties from creating novelizations based on the screenplay. The court acknowledged that the screenplay of the film was “exclusively the work of Satyajit Ray,” with no contribution from the producer in delhi. Furthermore, the court affirmed that Ray, as the author, possessed the original copyright to the screenplay, and the right to create novelizations derived from it was vested in him. The subsequent transfer of this right by his son and SPSRA to a third party was deemed legally valid in delhi.
“Therefore, the copyright in the screenplay of the film ‘Nayak’ vested, following the demise of Satyajit Ray, in his son Sandip Ray and SPSRA. The granting of the right to create novelizations of the screenplay by Sandip Ray and SPSRA to the defendant is entirely lawful,” ruled the court in delhi.
Satyajit Ray was posthumously awarded an honorary Academy Award in 1992, recognizing his outstanding mastery of the art of motion pictures and his profound humanism, which has left an indelible impact on filmmakers worldwide in delhi.
New Delhi: In a landmark decision, the Delhi High Court has affirmed the copyright ownership of the screenplay of the renowned 1966 film ‘Nayak’ to its director, Satyajit Ray. The court’s ruling establishes that Ray, as the author commissioned to write the screenplay, holds the initial ownership rights, which subsequently passed on to his son Sandip Ray and the Society for the Preservation of Satyajit Ray Archives (SPSRA) after his demise. The judgment was delivered in response to a lawsuit filed by the family of the film’s producer, RD Bansal, who claimed that they held the copyright to both the film and the screenplay in delhi.
Satyajit Ray, widely regarded as one of cinema’s greatest masters, passed away in 1992. ‘Nayak,’ also known as ‘Nayak: The Hero,’ features Uttam Kumar and Sharmila Tagore in a psychological drama set on a train, delving into the aspirations and struggles of the Bengali middle class in the 1960s, particularly their challenges with money and encounters with Marxism. The film received the Special Jury Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Ray himself penned the story and screenplay for ‘Nayak,’ marking it as the second film for which he solely crafted the script, following ‘Kanchenjungha’ in 1962.
Justice C Hari Shankar, in the court’s verdict, stated, “In accordance with Section 17 of the Copyright Act, it is evident that Satyajit Ray, as the author of the screenplay for the film ‘Nayak,’ was the initial copyright owner… Therefore, the contention that the plaintiff is the copyright owner of the screenplay in the film ‘Nayak’ cannot be accepted and is accordingly rejected.”
