Fortune Films International v Dev Anand
AIR 1979 Bom 1719791 min read
The case in brief30-second read
- Facts
- Dev Anand acted in a film produced by Fortune Films. A dispute arose over rights in the film and his performance.
- Issue
- Whether an actor has a separate copyright in his performance in a cinematograph film.
- Held
- Under the Copyright Act 1957 as it then stood, an actor's performance was not a 'work', so Dev Anand had no separate copyright in it.
- Principle
- Before the 1994 amendment, Indian law gave performers no copyright in their performances; performers' rights were added later.
Facts
- Dev Anand acted in a film produced by Fortune Films. A dispute arose over rights in the film and his performance.
Issue
- Whether an actor has a separate copyright in his performance in a cinematograph film.
Held
- Under the Copyright Act 1957 as it then stood, an actor's performance was not a 'work', so Dev Anand had no separate copyright in it.
Cite this
Citation
Fortune Films International v Dev Anand AIR 1979 Bom 17Reported: https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1686803/. This is an educational summary, not the judgment itself. Cite the reported version in professional or academic work.