Mysore court holds first 'teletrial' in south India

MYSORE: For the first time in southIndia, District and Sessions Judge court on Tuesday recorded evidences throughteleconference in a copyright case filed against a foreign filmproducer.City-based film script writer Veda Nayak had filed the caseagainst leading Hollywood film producer Dean Devlin, associated with 20thCentury Fox. Respondents were based at Los Angeles.Nayak, an NRIfrom Mysore, cross-examined Devlin, who made the famous film Independence Day.He has alleged that Independence Day is based on a script ‘ExtraTerrestrial Mission’ (ETM) written by him, and accused the 20th CenturyFox of infringing his copyright. Devlin, however, refuted the charge of piracyand infringement. Nayak claimed he had registered the copyright of ETM in 1986,while the film was released in 1996.Tele-hearing was conductedthrough an ISDN line installed by BSNL at the court premises, connected toLakshmipuram telephone exchange.However, the proceedings gotdisrupted for a while when the power went off. Trial went on for over threehours; it will continue till Thursday. Many lawyers witnessed the proceedings.It may be recalled Nayak has been fighting the case against 20th Century Fox forthe last five years.Ranina, a lawyer from Mumbai, appeared on behalfof Devlin, while Nayak himself cross-examined the respondents.