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Amitabh Bachchan 'rubbishes' copyright law, says 'my inheritance be mine'

WION Web Team
Mumbai, Maharashtra, IndiaUpdated: Mar 20, 2018, 04:59 AM IST
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File photo of Amitabh Bachchan Photograph:(PTI)

Veteran Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan took to his personal blog post to "rubbish" and call out against copyright laws in India that put a cap on his late father, Harivanshrai Bachchan's literary works to belong to Amitabh as private property.  

According to The Copyright Act, 1957, all literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works of a public figure can remain as a private property of the family only till 60 years after the person's death. As Amitabh's father, Dr Harivanshrai Bachchan, a known Hindi poet died in January 2003, his works will belong to the public domain and could be used without permission after 60 years. 

In his public outcry against the Act, Amitabh wrote: "I oppose, disagree, lament, dispute, be in variance of, in vehement loud screams of voice" over the cap. He challenged the Act and wrote, “So who designed 60 years ? why 60 why not 61 , or why not perpetuity?”

Amitabh added: “...So what gets left as natural heir by Father Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan, after his passing passed 60 years, belongs no longer to his domain or possessive copyright as willed .. but becomes for the entire Universe to tread, scratch, mutilate, use in commercial consideration on their own creative discretion .. ???

“my inheritance be mine .. not another’s after the passing of its stipulated time in years .. 60 .. i am genetically my Father’s son .. he be willed to me of all that be in asset of his .. his writings be his .. his heir be me .. his writings be mine .. MINE ! i shall not and will not allow its dilution to general public .."  Read the full post here. 

Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan's most famous work was Madhushaala (1935). He was a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi award and the Padma Bhushan. His other contributions also include Hindi translations of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Othello. 

India is a signatory to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Work, which stipulates a minimum copyright period of lifetime and 60 years after an artist’s death.