BENGALURU: Bengaluru is gearing up to ring in the New Year, with hotels in the city all set to make the most of it. A city court, however, has dampened the party spirit considerably, barring as many as 14 star hotels, clubs and loungest from playing hit songs by a Mumbai-based firm, which happens to be the authorised agency for two major music companies.
The Principal City Civil and Sessions Court issued the injunction, based on a complaint filed by Novex Communications. The firm is the assignee to Zee Music and the authorised agent of Yash Raj music. The petition said that hotels, pubs, clubs and events playing hit music of Zee and Yash Raj music need to obtain a licence from the firm.
The injunction has been ordered against The Chancery Pavillion, Hilton Bangalore, JW Marriott, Movenpick Hotel, Holiday Inn & Suites, Fortune JP Cosmos, ITC Windsor, Park Plaza, Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway, The Ritz Carlton, The Taj West End, Vivanta by Taj in Whitefield, No Limits Club and Loft 38 club and Lounge.
Novex Communications moved the court and appealed for injunction against these places after they allegedly failed to take licences even after a number of reminders. It submitted that these places were infringing on the Copyright Act by playing music without licence. With the court injunction, playing the music would lead to contempt of court.
A Novex Communications spokesperson said, “We have been sending reminders to all these hotels, clubs and lounges for long and have reminded them that they should obtain the Novex licence. As they failed to take the necessary license, we moved the court for injunction and the court has ordered it in our favor. They can take licence per event or a yearly licence. Every place playing our music for commercial purpose needs to take our licence.”
