Legal Tug-of-War: Dhanush vs Netflix in Copyright Case

The Madras High Court dismissed Netflix's plea to reject a copyright infringement claim by actor Dhanush's production company, Wunderbar, against actor Nayanthara's documentary aired on Netflix. The court ruled that Wunderbar's need for urgent interim reliefs permits bypassing pre-suit mediation, with jurisdiction appropriately granted to the plaintiff.

The Madras High Court, on Tuesday, turned down an application from Netflix's Indian firm, Los Gatos, seeking to dismiss a copyright infringement case filed by actor Dhanush's production house, Wunderbar Films. This case pertains to unauthorized use of behind-the-scenes footage in Nayanthara's Netflix documentary.

Netflix's application argued that the legal suit should not be maintained in Madras due to jurisdictional constraints, as their office is located in Mumbai. The High Court, however, decided against Netflix, emphasizing the validity of Wunderbar's claim for urgent interim reliefs without pre-suit mediation.

Justice Abdul Quddhose underscored that since part of the cause of action occurred within the Court's jurisdiction, granting leave for the suit was justified. The continuous screening of alleged infringing material necessitated immediate court action, ruling out Netflix's call for mediation.

(With inputs from agencies.)