Yash Raj Films (USA) Inc. Wins Record Damages From Key DVD Replicator Involved In Piracy

Yash Raj Films (USA) Inc. has previously commenced criminal and civil copyright infringement actions in various jurisdictions in the United States. On June 30, 2003, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey handed down the following Judgments: 

1. Judgment in the amount of $94,823.00 against an Edison, NJ retail business operated under the name Gunjan and its owners Ninand Patel, Priya Patel, Vrusti Corporation and Archurusti Corp., a rising out of their sale of counterfeit copies of Yash Raj Films.
2. Judgment for damages in the amount of $2,300,000.00 and $29,894.00 in legal fees against Bharat Mehta the owner of the replication business Media Dimensions Inc located in Austin, Texas for the unauthorized replication of counterfeit copies of Yash Raj Films.

In a lengthy opinion District Court Judge Dennis M. Cavananh upheld Yash Raj's copyrights in and to its films and found Bharat Mehta to have "willfully and knowingly violated Plaintiff's copyrights" "entitling Yash Raj to "elevated statutory damages". The court also awarded permanent injunctions in favor of Yash Raj Films against both the Gunjan Defendants and Bharat Mehta. 

Previously, Yash Raj had entered into settlement agreements with three other businesses that sold infringing copies of Yash Raj products: Poonam Video & Variety in Edison, NJ and its owners and Patel Video &Variety and Vijay Appliances/Vijay Music Centre and their owners, both in Jersey City, NJ. 

The recent U.S. Federal Court Judgment serves as a warning that Yash Raj intends to pursue persons and businesses that duplicate, display or distribute illegal, unauthorized copies of any and all films to which Yash Raj holds the copyrights and prosecute such infringers to the fullest extent of the law. Working with RIAA, City, State and Federal law enforcement agencies and its attorneys, Poppe & Bhouraskar, Yash Raj intends to identify and prosecute all replicators manufacturing counterfeit DVD containing Yash Raj films. 

For further information regarding Yash Raj Films please contact Mr. Jawahar Sharma/Vaibhav Rajput at Yash Raj (USA) Inc. at: +1 (718) 786 3311 or us.office@yashrajfilms.com