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In a recent decision, the Delhi High Court has issued a restraining order against multiple entities, preventing them from reproducing and distributing content owned by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. The trust was established by Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON. The court asserted that while religious scriptures themselves cannot be copyrighted, adaptations of these texts, considered "transformative works," are eligible for protection against piracy. This ruling brings to light the distinction between original scriptural texts and their interpretative adaptations.

Protection for Transformative Works

Justice Prathiba M Singh, presiding over the lawsuit initiated by the Trust, emphasized that copyright protection would apply to the original parts of works that convey, educate, or elucidate religious scriptures. Consequently, the court ruled against the piracy of copyrighted works of the plaintiff, preventing defendants (referred to as Defendant No 1 to 14) from printing, reproducing, or disseminating any part of the plaintiff's works in print, audio-visual, or electronic forms. This interim order also mandated Google and Meta to remove infringing content from their platforms and directed authorities to suspend and block the offending links.

The Plaintiff's Claims

The plaintiff asserted that it held copyrights for all the works of the spiritual teacher Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Prabhupada's contributions involved simplifying religious books and scriptures to make them accessible to the common person. The defendants were accused of making these works available on their online platforms, mobile apps, and Instagram handles without proper licensing or authorization.

Clarifying Copyright in Religious Texts

The court clarified that while religious texts like the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita are considered public domain works and cannot be copyrighted, adaptations and interpretations, such as those found in television series like Ramanand Sagar's Ramayana or BR Chopra's Mahabharata, as well as other transformative works, are entitled to copyright protection as original creations. The court emphasized that Prabhupada had established the plaintiff Trust and entrusted it with the copyrights, making unauthorized complete reproductions, including explanations, summaries, and introductions, impermissible. Such actions, the court noted, could impact the plaintiff's revenue from these copyrighted works and warranted protection to prevent piracy and revenue loss.