Biswajit Sarkar, Advocates - IP AttorneysAn IP Law firm with global practices
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Practice

Media and Entertainment Law

Protecting creative work from the first draft of a script to its release, distribution and enforcement.

Overview

Films, music, series, broadcasts and books are bundles of rights: in the story, the script, the music, the performances and the brand. The firm helps producers, studios, labels, publishers, creators and platforms acquire those rights cleanly, document them and exploit them with confidence.

Work in this practice draws on the firm's copyright and trade mark experience. It covers clearances before production, the agreements that govern production and distribution, compliance before release, and swift action against piracy and misuse of a person's name or likeness.

What we do

Services

  • Chain of title and clearancesRights in stories, scripts, music, footage and titles before production
  • Production and distribution agreementsCo-production, financing, distribution and licensing contracts
  • Music licensingSynchronisation, publishing, recording and performance rights
  • Talent and creator agreementsAgreements with writers, directors, artists and influencers
  • OTT and broadcasting complianceContent classification, codes of ethics and grievance processes
  • Anti-piracyPre-release injunctions, website blocking and platform takedowns
  • Personality rightsProtecting a person's name, image, voice and likeness
  • Titles and brandsTitle registration, trade marks and merchandising

Our approach

How a matter progresses

The usual course of a media and entertainment law matter in India, from first instructions to a final outcome.

  1. Rights mapping

    We identify every right in the project, from the underlying story and script to music, performances, footage and the title.

  2. Clearance and chain of title

    We secure written assignments and licences and check that no third-party rights stand in the way of production or release.

  3. Agreements

    We draft and negotiate production, financing, distribution, music and talent agreements that match how the work will be exploited.

  4. Release compliance

    We guide certification by the CBFC for theatrical release, or the content classification and code of ethics for OTT platforms.

  5. Protection and enforcement

    We seek pre-release injunctions, website blocking orders and platform takedowns to stop piracy and misuse.

Questions

FAQs

General information only. For advice on your circumstances, please speak to an attorney.

Who owns the copyright in a film?
The producer is treated as the author of a cinematograph film under the Copyright Act, 1957 and is ordinarily its first owner. Rights in the underlying works, such as the script and music, must be acquired from their owners by written assignment or licence.
Do lyricists and composers keep any rights after licensing to a film?
Yes. Since the 2012 amendments, authors of literary and musical works included in a film or sound recording retain a right to share royalties when the work is exploited other than as part of the film, for example by public performance.
Can piracy be stopped before a film is released?
Indian courts regularly grant pre-release injunctions against unidentified infringers and order internet service providers to block piracy websites, including dynamic injunctions that extend to mirror sites.
Are personality rights recognised in India?
Yes. The Delhi and Bombay High Courts have protected the names, images, voices and likenesses of well-known persons against unauthorised commercial use, including use through artificial intelligence.

Further reading

From our blog

Articles by the firm's attorneys on media and entertainment law.

All articles

Official sources

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