RMPL files complaint in Mohali against Punjab Kings

The Recorded Music Performance Ltd (RMPL), the copyright society registered by the Government of India for managing sound recordings, has filed a police complaint against Punjab Kings (PBKS). The complaint has been submitted at the office of Senior Superintendent of Police, SAS Nagar (Mohali) under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Copyright Act.
KPH Dream Cricket Pvt Ltd, owner of the Punjab Kings XI, has been accused of infringement of copyright and committing offences under Sections 51, 63 and 69 of the Copyright Act, 1957. RMPL, in its complaint submitted to the Senior Superintendent, has sought the registration of an FIR under Sections 51, 63, 64, and 69 of the Act.
Those named in the complaint are KPH Dream Cricket Pvt Ltd, through its directors Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, Preity Zinta, and Karan Paul; Satish Menon, CEO, KPH Dream Cricket Pvt Ltd, Anant Sarkaria, Operational Head, KPH Dream Cricket Pvt Ltd, and Amarjit Singh Mehta, President, The Punjab Cricket Association are also named.
The complaint reads: “RMPL has several times approached the accused for obtaining the mandatory license for public performance licence of copyrighted sound recordings, performing rights of which belongs with the complainant but in vain.” The RMPL has claimed that on 13 April 2023, between 7.30 pm and 11 pm, during a Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans match at IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, the accused violated the Copyright Act by playing ‘Zindabaad Rehan Billo Yaarian’ of Lokdhun TeleMedia Limited without prior permissions. Sowmya Chowdhury, CEO of RMPL, said that the RMPL is on its way to creating a platform in India where all music labels registered with RMPL will get their rightful dues. “We ensure that the users of the music belonging to our members are provided due information about the Copyright Act well in advance. But if they still choose to ignore and wilfully commit a cognizable offence, then we will be forced to take the necessary steps to bring them to the right side of the law.” It is also worth mentioning that RMPL had served various notices to the Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI) as well as DNA, a Bengaluru-based company appointed to manage the entertainment by Gujarat Titans for its games, but they continued to play songs for which rights were administered by the RMPL, compelling them to file a suit before the Commercial Court at Gandhinagar against DNA and the Gujarat Titans.