High court refuses to lift stay on DU photocopy shop
In a setback to students of Delhi University ahead of the exams, the Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to lift the stay on a popular photocopy shop from issuing copies of chapters from textbooks of three international publishers who have alleged copyright violation. Harish V Nair reports.
In a setback to students of Delhi University ahead of the exams, the Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to lift the stay on a popular photocopy shop from issuing copies of chapters from textbooks of three international publishers who have alleged copyright violation.
"What is the urgency to get the stay removed? There are other photocopy shops too near the campus", Justice RS Endlaw told Sanjay Parikh, the lawyer for students who wanted the stay to be removed.
After hearing part arguments by the publishers, Justice Endlaw posted the case for May 8 while the exams begin on May 1. Publishers University Press, Cambridge University Press and Taylor & Francis had on August 14, 2012, moved the court against the shop, Rameshwari Photocopy Service located near the Delhi School for Economics in the north campus and Delhi University, accusing them of infringing copyright laws.
Publishers alleged that the photocopiers "at the instance of DU" were causing huge financial losses as students have stopped buying their text books.
"Course packs -readings from different books combined to form one pack- are a key part of our preparations. At times, we are supposed to do close to 50 readings from different books for a subject. Do the publishers expect us to buy 50 books each of which costs above Rs 900?" asked a student present in the court.
"Rameshwari Photocopy Service is restrained from making or selling course packs and also reproducing the plaintiff's publication or substantial portion by compiling the same either in a book form or in the form of a course pack, till the final disposal of the case," the court said issuing a restraint order in November last year.
The order came after DU on October 18 assured the court that it will take steps to prevent rights infringement.
