Renowned Author S.L. Bhairappa Wins Copyright Battle Against Unauthorized Translation

Mysuru: The Principal District and Sessions Court of Mysuru has ruled in favor of acclaimed literary figure Padma Shri awardee S.L. Bhairappa. The court ordered a compensation of Rs 5.05 lakhs against the publisher Vatsala of Priyadarshini Prachuranal in Hyderabad for unauthorized translation and publication of Bhairappa's novel 'Vamshavriksha' in Telugu without the author's permission.

Bhairappa, known for his literary contributions, had authored and published the novel 'Vamsa Vriksha' in 1960, a work that gained popularity and was even prescribed as a graduation text. The novel was also adapted into a successful film. The author had initially granted translation rights exclusively to Sanagaram Nagabhushanam, who translated the work into Telugu under the title 'Vamsavriksham.' Following Nagabhushanam's demise, no further permissions were granted for translation.

Despite this, the publisher Vatsala proceeded to publish an unauthorized Telugu translation of 'Vamshavriksha.' Bhairappa, upon discovering this violation of the Copyright Act, issued a notice to Vatsala in 2021, demanding copies of the unofficially published novel. However, with no response from Vatsala, Bhairappa took legal action, seeking compensation for copyright infringement.

The Principal Sessions Court, presided over by Judge Hiremath, ruled in favor of Bhairappa, ordering Priyadarshini Prachuranal to pay Rs 5.05 lakhs as compensation and to hand over all printed copies of the translated work to the author. Additionally, the court issued an injunction preventing the reprinting of the novel without proper authorization.