Aamir Khan quits copyright panel on a jarring note

Aamir Khan has resigned from a government panel set up by Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal to suggest changes in the copyright act, following reported differences with lyricist Javed Akhtar.

Aamir Khan has resigned from a government panel set up by Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal to suggest changes in the copyright act, following reported differences with lyricist Javed Akhtar.

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Two days after the formation of the 10-member committee, Aamir wrote to Sibal saying he was opting out of the panel as he was publicly being attacked by some people.

“It seems to me that there is an attempt by certain people to attack me in public by printing lies about me, thereby turning the attention away from a genuine debate about copyright issues,” the 44-year-old actor said in his letter.

A day after Aamir quit, Sibal on Wednesday said he regretted the way the issue had reached the media.

“Some people became unhappy. But we cannot do anything in this regard. Aamir Khan has written to me. I think he is correct from his point of view,” he said.

Akhtar refused to comment. “I have nothing to say. As far as the personalities are concerned, I don’t want to comment on it.”

The other panel members will discuss possible changes to the 53-year-old copyright act, Sibal said.

On December 24, the Union cabinet approved some amendments to the 1957 act. The changes will entitle authors of musical, cinematographic and literary works to royalty if their work is used for commercial purposes.