Shironamhin takes legal action against G-Series for copyright violation
Popular Bangladeshi band Shironamhin has lodged a complaint against the prominent audio production company G-Series, accusing it of violating copyright laws.
The band claims that G-Series has been commercially exploiting their songs on YouTube and other digital platforms without authorisation, despite a 2018 ruling by the Bangladesh Copyright Board granting Shironamhin the copyright for at least 30 songs from their first three albums—"Jahaji", "Ichchhe Ghuri", and "Bondho Janala".
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Band lead Ziaur Rahman Zia stated that G-Series ignored the copyright ruling and continued to monetise Shironamhin's music online. In response to this complaint, the Bangladesh Copyright Office sent a letter on May 26 to G-Series CEO Nazmul Hoque Bhuiyan, demanding a written explanation.
Nazmul Hoque Bhuiyan confirmed receiving the letter and said he would respond after consulting with his lawyer. The controversy dates back to 2004, 2006, and 2009, when G-Series released the three albums, respectively, that quickly became popular among listeners.
However, after these releases, G-Series registered the copyrights in their name, prompting Shironamhin to seek legal intervention in 2017.
Following a year-long investigation, the Copyright Board revoked G-Series' certificates and transferred the rights to the band. The board's decision confirmed that the band itself owns the copyrights to these 30 songs under the law. However, G-Series has appealed this decision in the High Court in 2019.
Former Copyrights Registrar Zafar Raja Chowdhury clarified that G-Series is only allowed to distribute the albums in audio format. Any digital distribution, such as on YouTube, requires an agreement with Shironamhin, otherwise, it constitutes a clear violation of copyright law. Despite this, G-Series has continued to promote the songs digitally without Shironaamhin's consent.
Nazmul H0que argued that he has the right to distribute the albums across all media since he invested in them. However, copyright experts maintain that G-Series cannot legally distribute these songs digitally without the band's permission, as it infringes on Shironamhin's rights as the rightful copyright holder.
The case remains unresolved as both parties await further legal developments.
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