Hollywood warns Bollywood on 'Button' remake

21 hours ago

MUMBAI (AFP) — US studio Warner Bros on Monday put its Bollywood counterparts on notice that they would sue for breach of copyright if the hit film "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" was remade here.

Advertisements were placed in the Times of India and trade magazines stating that Warner Bros is the joint author and co-owner of the copyright of the period drama, which earned 13 nominations at this year's Oscars.

"Recent press reports have indicated that certain parties are in the process of producing a film in Hindi based upon the aforementioned film," New Delhi-based law firm Lall and Sethi Advocates said in the public notice.

A lawsuit will be slapped on anyone producing a film "either in English or Hindi or other language, having a similar script, screenplay or story line or character sketches or interplay of characters or sequence of events," it said.

The move follows reports that Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai are to star in a film called "Action Replay" directed by Vipul Shah, with a possible release in November.

The Times of India said in a report last month that the film involves Kumar's character going through a reverse-ageing process, "just as Brad Pitt does in Benjamin Button."

India's Hindi-language film industry has a long history of remaking Hollywood movies with virtually identical plots, characters and even musical scores.

Warner Bros, which owns the copyright to the blockbusting Harry Potter movies, last year took the producers of Indian film "Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors" to court, arguing that its name was too similar.

The case was dismissed at a hearing in September.

Lawyer Chander Lall told AFP that as the film industry changes, with US studios making inroads in India and Indian films shown abroad more, intellectual property needs to be protected.

"There's obviously a concern because it (Bollywood) is becoming a competing industry," he said

copycats. can't they make their own original movies. sheesh.

  I know, preaty much get tired of watching remake(riped off)  films by bollywood. If bollywood is running out of  ideas, why not make movies based on books. I am guessing that the indian film industry didnt learn anything from Slumdog Millionare Edited by BARTSIMPSON - 15 years ago

First of all, Button is based off a short story written by Fitzgerald so really Bollywood can make it! But they shouldn't opy the dialouge and scenes verbatim! If they can bring a new idea or new adaptation from it, go on with it, but if it's gonna be a copy then please spare us the pain and don't make it. Hopefully, this movie won't be like Partner, Zeher, or Murder where scenes AND dialouges are copied from the orginal!

How embaressing for Bollywood to get a warning like that...!

I wondeer whats going to happen now. If bollywood is running out of ideas for films , why not make movies based on books

I'm saying their can make something similiar to Button and story by Fitzgerlad, but not copy the movie verbatim! I'm also glad that Hollywood is taking action, it's been a long coming.

Bollywood should make their OWN stories now...I'm getting tired of these Hollywood remakes...we can be much more creative! Why are there no new fresh stories?? We can have new love stories with our new B-Town stars like Sonam, Ranbir, Imran, Deepika, Genelia, etc. We haven't seen one of those in a while! Btw, one question...has H-Wood ever copied B-Wood?

It's about time! Im getting tired as well of watching movies that are remakes from Hollywood.