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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed contempt proceedings initiated by the Karnataka high court against streaming giant Netflix for the broadcast of documentary film ‘Wild Karnataka’ despite the high court’s prior order prohibiting its telecast.
The apex court directed Netflix to deposit the earnings from the film into a fund for wildlife conservation.
“How can Netflix be held for contempt? The footage was immediately removed. Karnataka has so many important matters; why pursue a contempt case against Netflix?” Chief Justice DY Chandrachud asked.
On 8 January, the high court decided to frame charges against the creators of the documentary – Sarath Champati, Kalyan Varma, and Amoghavarsha J S, as well as representatives of the UK-based producer Icon Films Ltd, distributor ITV Studios Global Distribution Ltd, and representatives from television channels Discovery India and BBC United Kingdom, Discovery Communications India, and Netflix Entertainment Services India LLP .
The high court said, despite an interim order, the accused entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the forest department, filmed footage, and sold rights to others. The documentary was streamed till December 2023, prompting the complainant to claim wilful disobedience of the court’s order.
The issue originated with an interim order issued on 29 June, 2021, by the Karnataka High Court following a petition by Ravindra N Redkar and Ullash Kumar. The order prohibited the filmmakers and platforms involved from engaging in any use, publication, reproduction, broadcasting, telecasting, marketing, selling, or dealing with the film and its raw footage obtained from the forest department.
Despite the film’s intended non-profit nature for conservation and educational purposes, the petitioners argued that the filmmakers commercially profited from it without the approval of the Karnataka Forest Department (KFD).
The petitioners further claimed that the film was distributed globally and that the individuals involved pocketed substantial amounts without contributing to the Tiger Reserve Fund. KFD officials reportedly waived shooting fees and deposits, and the state’s vehicles and drivers were utilized without appropriate compensation.
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Published: 25 Jan 2024, 02:45 PM IST
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