Enkayaar, Bollywood Trade News Network

It had to happen one day, and eventually it has happened. Sony Pictures is contemplating taking action against the producers of PARTNER, as they are of the opinion that PARTNER is straight rip-off from their successful film HITCH starring Will Smith.

Copyright infringement has been going on with impunity in the industry, and stories are picked up left right and centre from the DVDs of the successful films around the world and being passed on as Indian adaptation. For quite some time this phenomenon has been going on in the Hindi film industry, where the content or the story line is "inspired" from a successful film elsewhere. DVDs of films made primarily from Hollywood were doing the job of the writer.

As long as technology was in the nascent stage, and the Internet revolution had not changed the paradigms of communication, and one was operating in limited markets, the news about story lines being lifted did not travel around the world. But now with simultaneous international releases, and exchange of reviews on the various websites and chat rooms about the film, on the very first day the information is exchanged across the world that a particular film has been "inspired", from the other film made in some other part of the world. For the Hindi films it also has become easier to find out whether the film has original content or a rip-off as it is released internationally all over the world. More so, if the original film is still running, and its "inspiration", in a different language also shares the screen-space then it becomes very easy to point the source of inspiration.

There is no dearth of good writers in the industry. The success of films like KHOSLA KA GHOSLA, MUNNA BHAI, RANG DE BASANTI, etc., are a clear pointer to the fact that stories are available but writers have to be given due recognition. This could turn the tide for writers with good stories, and a blessing in disguise for the industry as well.

The economy of USA gets 6 percent of its revenue from copyrights and Indian film industry as a market is still opening up for the big-wigs of movie making at international level. This incident should also instill a sense of appreciation of copyright business in India as well. Once this is done, a new source of revenue generation would also be created for the Hindi film industry.

The earlier it is done the better it would be, as once the word spreads around about the contents of hit films being copied with impunity the demand for royalty would increase. The whole episode is built around this premise in fact, as Sony Pictures feels that it is well within its rights to demand a part of the revenue that the producers of PARTNER are going to make out from this film. The scenario could have ominous dimensions if the focus of vigilance shifts to the music industry of India as well, to find out copyright violations in the realm of music. Now the time has come to initiate the process of clean up.