C. RANGRAJU Vs. VED VIGNAN MAHAVIDYAPEETH PANCHGIRI ASHRAM

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Petitioner has filed the present petition under section 50 of the Copyright Act, 1950 for expunction of registration number R-00555-97. The matter was heard at New Delhi on 24.2.2010.

(2.) Petitioner has contended that there cannot be any copyright in respect of meditation techniques which is known to many Indians since vedic days. Petitioner has referred to the orders passed by Additional City Civil Judge in a matter where the respondent herein had sought injunction against the petitioner. Petitioner is also teaching yoga and meditation techniques and techniques adopted by him are totally different from the respondent. Petitioner calls his techniques as SO-HAM KRIYA and the respondent calls his techniques as SUDHARSHAN KRIAY SO-HAM.

(3.) Respondents in the combined submissions have questioned the maintainability of the petition on the ground that section 50 envisages rectification of any entry made in the Register and not cancellation of copyright as such. Petitioner is not an aggrieved person. Sound record and the musical work registered consists the exclusive voice of the 2nd respondent herein and the same is his exclusive copyright ever since 1982. This is an exclusive invention by the 2nd respondent and merely because those words are found in our ancient Vedas, does not mean that no copyright could be granted. If the contention of the petitioner is to be accepted that his teachings of yoga and meditation techniques are totally different from that of these respondent, then on this own admission, this application deserves to be dismissed.