HC raps platforms from using ISKCON content, asks Google, Meta to bring down infringing content

GLOBAL PR CONNECT (GPRC)
New Delhi [India], September 27: The Delhi High Court recently observed that there can be no objection in the actual reproduction of the text of Bhagavad Gita or Bhagavatam, but copyright law would apply to the manner in which they are interpreted by different Gurus and spiritual teachers.
The Plaintiff - Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is a trust established by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ‘Srila Prabhupada’ He is also credited with the establishment of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
The Plaintiff-Trust has during the lifetime of the Author, Srila Prabhupada and after the Mahasamadhi of the Author, spread the said writings and teachings in various forms including printed books, audio books and electronic versions. The Plaintiff-Trust has recently come out with World’s First App Transcend which contains both the Audio and Ebook formats of the Founder and Author.
Several platforms have loaded contents and also audio books of the Trust online. The court observed that the Author himself set up the Plaintiff Trust in 1972 and handed over the copyrights to be administered by the trust, the said copyrighted works cannot be reproduced without authorization, licence or the permission of the Plaintiff-Trust.
The plaintiff sought an injunction order against four websites, five mobile applications and four Instagram handles which uploaded and communicated to the public the copyrighted work of the plaintiff.
Justice Singh considered the case and noted that there has been a large-scale infringement and piracy of the plaintiff’s work.
Such piracy of the copyrighted works cannot be permitted and if such piracy goes unchecked, the copyright in the works would be considerably diluted leading to immense loss of revenues, the single-judge opined.
Justice Singh also ordered Google and Meta to take down the applications and pages. The Court further directed the authorities to pass blocking orders against these websites.
Speaking to reporters Sri Ananda Tirtha Dasa, Project Head of Transcend and Trustee of Bhaktivedanta Book Trust said that “Our mission is to share the timeless teachings of love and devotion, and in this endeavor, respect for intellectual property is our ethical compass, guiding us towards a world where wisdom flourishes, undisturbed by the shadows of infringement”
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