UTV wins title row, Thank You to release this Friday

The Akshay Kumar-starrer, Thank You, was rescued from legal wrangles three days before its release.

The Akshay Kumar-starrer, Thank You, was rescued from legal wrangles three days before its release.

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While rejecting a plea of Fish Eye Networks Ltd seeking injunction against the release of Thank You, the Bombay high court on Tuesday also rejected the tradition of registering Hindi film titles with one of the three producers’ associations.

Last week, Fish Eye Networks, owned by producer-director Pooja Bhatt, had moved court contending that UTV Software Communications Ltd had no authority to use the title, Thank You, because it had registered the title with Film Makers Combine in August 2005.

UTV Software Communica-tions had registered the same title with the Association of Motion Pictures and TV Programme Producers in September 2008.

Fish Eye Networks was banking on getting the injunction based on the age-old trade practice of registering film titles with the Association of Motion Pictures and TV Programme Producers, Film Makers Combine or Indian Motion Picture Producers Association.

But, justice DY Chandrachud said: “No statutory basis has been set up for the trade practice or custom, which form the foundation of this suit.”

The court also took into consideration that UTV Software Communications had spent more than Rs 60 crore on producing Thank You and it is due to release on Friday.

Directed by Anees Bazmee, the romantic comedy stars Akshay Kumar, Irrfan Khan, Bobby Deol, Suniel Shetty, Sonam Kapoor, Celina Jaitley and Rimi Sen.

Fish Eye Network contended in its plea that their film with same title was complete with pre-production and its production had been put on hold because of the alleged illegal use of the title by UTV Software Communications.

“If the film is allowed to be released great harm, loss and prejudice will be caused to the plaintiff [Fish Eye],” the plea stated seeking either a declaration to the effect that they have exclusive rights over the title Thank You or Rs10 crore in damages.

UTV Software Communica-tions maintained that its film, Thank You, is complete, has got censor certification and is due for release on Friday, while Fish Eye Networks has not even announced any project for which they were claiming the title.