As the makers of ‘Singham Again’ were preparing for its release, they were hit with an unexpected glitch; T-Series, one of India’s biggest music labels, started a copyright strike against the film’s title track. This controversy broke out after it was contended that the first ten seconds of the new song sounded quite like the original Singham theme; hence, Rohit Shetty’s team immediately took down the song from YouTube and made the necessary changes to the track to avert any needless copyright issues before uploading it back. The ongoing tussle points to some pertinent issues surrounding copyright complications in the Hindi Film Industry, with larger implications in the domain of intellectual property disputes in the film industry.
A copyright strike happens on YouTube when a video is found using copyrighted materials without permission, usually reported through either YouTube’s automated Content ID system or a manual report by the copyright owner. If the copyright owner’s strike is validated, YouTube might take down the video and put a copyright strike against the person who uploaded it, notifying him or her of the copyright violation. Each strike brings other restrictions to the channel, and if the channel gets three copyright strikes in 90 days, it risks being permanently taken down from the platform. Channel owners may dispute strikes by sending a counter-notification if they believe the claim is invalid.
Singham Franchise’ Music & Its Popularity
Operated in 2011, the Singham project chunked its way into the audience’s heart with an element of patriotism spruced up with enthralling stunts and music composed by Ajay-Atul. The very theme music, as much a badge of valor for Singham as the narrative, became invincible anthems. Over time, the theme transcended film culture, and fans started associating the movie with the theme song.
T-series Copyright Claim: Cause For Conflict?
This legal battle revolves around the ownership of the Singham soundtrack by the music label T-Series, which also enjoys the notoriety of providing the original theme to this franchise. T-Series has alleged that the beginning of the title song of Singham Again bore a striking resemblance to the original theme and went ahead to cause copyright infringement. However, an exhaustive account of this soundtrack hasn’t yet been issued. T-Series felt that owing to the similarity, it was mandatory to opt for a legal route, prompting Rohit Shetty’s team to make changes to the song to avoid official setbacks in movie production.
Copyright Dispute’s Impact On Production Of Singham Again
This copyright contest needed some modifications as it presented a potentially huge hurdle in production. It is no easy task for a franchise dependent on some hallmark musical elements to create its mood to rework a title track amid filming. In this case, musical changes have the power of being changes that could impact choreography and promotional materials, most probably designed keeping the old track in mind. This unexpected, forced turn could add new twists and turns to the end product of this task, though the Rohit Shetty team has already called out the pulling at necessary points to avoid prolonged interruptions.
How Copyright Claims Stir Up Filmmakers
Talented filmmakers are not new to copyright claims, for as major bigwig companies control T-Series, they will make sure that their copyrights are totally and precisely controlled, preventing any unauthorized distribution or modification. Music in Bollywood is a big asset for a film’s identity, making it only obvious why production houses would enforce copyright, thus enforcing their rights. But, given how involved remix culture is with Bollywood, copyright could make unique challenges, primarily for a filmmaker revisiting certain franchise-related themes or motifs that an audience could easily recognize.
The copyright claim made by T-Series for Singham Again establishes that a very slight resemblance to previous music can land a filmmaker in serious trouble. The claim gives weight to copyright’s relevance in an environment saturated with Bollywood remixes. It provides a stark reminder that the rights for even commonplace themes are not awarded to anyone without a second thought, thus complicating matters of continuity of creativity in filmmaking.
Copyright Claims & Role In Bollywood
The copyright claim over the Singham theme is just one amongst the numerous claims being made in the industry, as creators recognize the need to lock their intellectual properties. Directors have been known to adopt a franchise, theme, or story to weave existing tales into the main narrative, leaving some copyright holders okay with the notion. In contrast, others, like T-Series, prefer to lock a vice grip over their copyrights. This has been the trend since the advent of online streaming service providers in India, which, increasingly, have been turning to original production content. Since assets of these OTT platforms are entirely like intangible assets, copyrights, their value, and the need to keep them unsullied have been on the rise. An alternative that the current industry indicates is a middle path that, under license, can see the older intellectual assets being used by the current creators, albeit under a meaningful revenue cut.
Conclusion: Copyright In A Franchise-Wise Industry
This case of copyright dispute embroiling Singham Again reflects Bollywood’s struggle with the management of intellectual property rights. Although T-Series’ move may act as a needed reminder of the need to protect intellectual property, it indicates that filmmakers operating in established franchises may have legal hurdles. The development of flexible copyright practices accommodating franchise continuity and freedom of expression could assist in resolving copyright disputes, which grow fast within the film fraternity.
Authors: Aishee Choudhury & Yukta Bhatia