Venus TV in legal bother over “unauthorised” movies

Independent Asian entertainment and cultural channel, Venus TV has reportedly been pulled up by a major television network for “unauthorised” telecast of a movie.

In exclusive papers accessed by BizAsiaLive.com, Venus TV has been issued with a legal notice by ZEE Network UK for broadcasting the classic 1983 movie ‘Coolie’ earlier this month. The notice states that Venus TV aired the movie on 5th August 2016 around 21:00 without any prior permission from rights holder, ZEE Network.

ZEE Network UK is suing the channel for the “illegal” screening of the movie. The undisclosed fee is said to be worth a few thousand pounds. If Venus TV fails to comply with the order, ZEE may institute civil and/or criminal proceedings.

When contacted by BizAsiaLive.com, Venus TV categorically denied the allegations. It said that it had been broadcasting for eleven years and has never aired movies without rights.

Earlier, DM Global was found broadcasting huge Bollywood blockbusters that were clearly in exclusive contracts with ZEE Network, Sony Pictures Networks and Star TV. Since then, the channel has cut down on its movie slots to avoid any legal issues.