Copyright Act, 1957
60. Remedy in the case of groundless threat of
legal proceedings –
Where any person claiming to be the owner of
copyright in any work, by circulars, advertisements or otherwise, threatens any
other person with any legal proceedings or liability in respect of an alleged
infringement of the copyright, any person aggrieved thereby may,
notwithstanding anything contained [(Note: Subs. for "in Section 42 of
the Specific Relief Act,1877" by Act 23 of 1983, S.21 (w.e.f. 9-8-1984)) in
section 34 of the Specific Relief Act,, 1963 (47 of 1963)] institute a
declaratory suit that the alleged infringement to which the threats related was
not in fact an infringement of any legal rights of the person making such
threats and may in any such suit-
a. obtain an
injunction against the continuance of such threats, and
b. recover such
damages, if any, as he has sustained by reason of such threats:
Provided that this section shall not apply if
the person making such threats, with due diligence, commences and prosecutes an
action of infringement of the copyright claimed by him.