Delhi High Court Refuses Interim Ban on 47 Law Books in Copyright Ownership Dispute

The Delhi High Court refused to halt publication and sale of forty-seven legal books in a family dispute involving Delhi Law House.

Background

The claimant relied on successive wills said to pass rights in long-published legal commentaries, including works associated with Sanjiva Row and Anand and Iyer.

Legal issue

The central issue was whether inheritance documents established that the predecessor had originally acquired the authors’ copyrights.

Court’s approach

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav held that the claimant had not established the necessary chain of ownership from the authors at the interim stage.

What follows

The requested injunction was refused. The underlying ownership dispute can continue, but the books cannot presently be restrained solely on the asserted testamentary chain.