PPL Moves Bombay High Court Over Alleged Copyright Infringement in Kapil Sharma’s Netflix Show

The Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL), a copyright society representing sound recording owners, has approached the Bombay High Court seeking legal relief against comedian Kapil Sharma and his production entities for alleged copyright violations in his Netflix show The Great Indian Kapil Show.

The suit names K-9 Films Private Limited, BeingU Studios Private Limited, Kapil Sharma, and directors Bhavneet Kaur, Akshit Lahoria, and Gurjot Singh as defendants, identifying them as the companies and individuals responsible for producing and directing the show, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

Court Grants Time to Respond

Justice Sharmila Deshmukh has allowed the defendants two weeks to respond to the plea.

Senior Advocate Sharan Jagtiani, representing PPL along with Advocate Amogh Singh, argued that the unauthorised use of copyrighted sound recordings could have a detrimental effect on PPL’s entire music business and reputation.

Allegations of Unlicensed Use

The petition claims that the defendants have regularly used PPL’s sound recordings as background music during live recordings of the show without obtaining the necessary licenses. According to the plea, three seasons comprising multiple episodes have already been shot and broadcast, and production of Season 4 is underway. PPL expressed concern that the latest season could continue to exploit its copyrighted works without permission.

The application stated:

“By seeking to exploit PPL copyrighted works without any license taken from PPL and in unauthorised manner, the producers are indulging in acts of infringement of copyright which ought to be injuncted by appropriate orders of this court.”

Relief Sought

PPL has requested the court to:

• Injunction the defendants from publicly performing or communicating any sound recordings assigned or exclusively licensed to PPL, including during live recordings of the show.

• Appoint a Court Receiver to seize, with police assistance, all devices and media containing the allegedly infringing recordings, including laptops, hard disks, pen drives, and music systems used by the defendants.

The defendants, represented by Advocates Anand Mohan, Monisha Mane, and Chandrajit Das from Parinam Law, are expected to file their response within the two-week window granted by the court.

The case highlights ongoing tensions in the entertainment industry over copyright compliance in digital streaming and live production, particularly in high-profile shows where music forms an integral part of production value.