LI Network
Published on: January 19, 2024 at 17:03 IST
In a recent development, the Karnataka High Court has officially pressed charges against documentary filmmakers Amoghavarsha J S and Sarath Champati, along with broadcasters BBC, Discovery, and Netflix, among others.
These charges have been framed within the context of a civil contempt of court petition. The division bench of the Karnataka High Court took this action on Thursday, addressing a case where the filmmakers and broadcasters are accused of violating a 2021 interim court order related to the release and telecast of the documentary film ‘Wild Karnataka.’
The primary complainants in this case are Ravindra N Redkar and Ullash Kumar R K. The allegations suggest that Mudskipper Labs and ITV Studios Global, while collaborating with filmmakers Kalyan Varma and Amoghavarsha in 2014, breached an agreement with the Karnataka Forest Department (KFD). The filmmakers purportedly utilized KFD services, such as transport and shooting permissions, without remitting the required charges.
The petitioners contend that the filmmakers failed to obtain necessary permission to waive the fees. Despite the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) granting copyrights of the documentary and raw footage to the KFD, the filmmakers involved Icon Films from England and Wales without the department’s knowledge.
Subsequently, agreements were made with BBC, Discovery, and Netflix for broadcasting, despite KFD’s stipulation that the film should not be used commercially. The film was ultimately released in theaters.
The original raw footage, totaling 400 hours, was claimed to be under the copyright of the KFD by the petitioners. In response to an interim order passed on June 29, 2021, forbidding publication or telecast of the film, the complainants filed a contempt petition as the film was still released in theaters and broadcasted on various platforms.
In a recent development on January 17, the respondents expressed their willingness to compensate the KFD. BBC offered Rs 3.5 lakh, Netflix Rs 4.5 lakh, and both Icon Films and Discovery offered Rs 3.5 lakh each to the Tiger Conservation Foundation.
Despite these offers, the High Court, siding with the petitioners, questioned the sincerity of the apology, considering the compensation offered. Consequently, charges were formally framed, and the hearing has been adjourned until February 8.