Anup Bhambhani, Dayan Krishnan, Pratibha Singh & Sudhir Chandra in Round II of DU photocopiers case

A division bench of the Delhi High Court has issued notice in the appeal filed against the September 16 judgment of RS Endlaw J. dismissing claims of copyright infringement by Delhi University photocopiers..However, the bench of Pradeep Nandrajog and Pratibha Rani JJ. denied any interim stay after the respondents, represented by Senior Advocates Anup Bhambhani and Dayan Krishnan, argued that a stay would have an adverse impact on the students given that examinations were scheduled for November..The appellants, represented by Senior Advocates Prathiba Singh and Sudhir Chandra instructed by Saikrishna & Associates, sought to demonstrate the extent of alleged copyright infringement by submitting an economics textbook whose first 12 chapters were allegedly replicated verbatim in the course materials..Singh stressed on the need for a stay, arguing that the Endlaw J judgment ran counter to a division bench decision of that very High Court in Syndicate of the Press of the University of Cambridge on behalf of the Chancellor v. B.D. Bhandari. She also argued that the single judge order would encourage all photocopiers to infringe the appellants’ copyright without fear of the legal repercussions..Although the stay was denied, the bench directed the respondents to maintain a record of the number of pages purchased, printed and sold in the photocopying of the course materials..The matter is now listed for November 8.