Clause Crafted

You are humming a Bollywood song you have heard a hundred times. A famous movie dialogue has become a meme. A poster from a blockbuster film hangs on the wall of a café. Someone is selling T-shirts featuring a beloved character, while social media creators use clips from the film to entertain millions. Most people see entertainment. An intellectual property lawyer sees ownership. Every one of those creations belongs to someone. The lyrics were written by a lyricist. The melody was composed by a musician. The screenplay was developed by writers. The film itself required years of creative effort and substantial financial investment. What appears to be a simple song, dialogue, poster, or performance is often protected by a complex web of legal rights. This raises important questions. When creativity becomes part of popular culture, where does appreciation end and infringement begin? Can a famous dialogue be printed on merchandise without permission? Can a social media creator freely use c...

If you aren’t sure what law can offer you, research a little - it might just be your cup of tea. My journey- Why Law?   Back in school, I was that student who actually liked Civics. While others treated Civics as just another subject, I’d find myself oddly intrigued  wondering how words of the Constitution came alive beyond the textbook.. Maybe I’d become a policy drafter, maybe join the police something that had a sense of justice and order. But like most teenage curiosities, that thought faded away… or so I thought.        (gemini ai generated textbook photograph)   Years later, after finishing my BMM in Journalism, I stood at a crossroad with three paths in front of me: a PG Diploma in Media & Entertainment, an MBA in Media Management & Entertainment and a LL.B. entrance I’d written out of pure curiosity to try something new. Many asked me: WHY LAW NOW? and after BMM? My father, ever the voice of reason, made me weigh it out. Media looked gl...

Introduction The United Nations (UN) is the central forum for international cooperation, with 193 member states participating in its General Assembly on an equal footing. Yet not every influential actor in world politics is a full UN member. Some occupy a special position known as Permanent Observer Status . Those states which are not members of the United Nations may participate in the deliberations of the General Assembly without vote when  they are granted ‘Observer Status.’ When a state having observer status is given right to participate in all the future meetings of the General Assembly, the status is referred to as ‘Permanent Observer.’ According to the practice of the United Nations, Permanent  Observer and the officials from their missions may attend the opening session of the general assembly, its principal committees and other U.N Bodies. They can distribute documents and materials issued by their governments, obtain documents from the U.N bodies published by the U....

It's 4 P.M. You're expecting evening tea. There's a knock at your door. Police officers claim they need to search your home, but they do not have a warrant. Your first instinct may be to say no. Isn't that our right to deny? Under Indian law, not always. Section 185 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, authorizes police to undertake warrantless searches under specific circumstances and if you don't know what those conditions are, you could be taken entirely by surprise. In today's post, we'll explain what Section 185 actually states, when it can be utilized and where the risks are. Relevant Section: Section 165, Code of Criminal Procedure,1973 (CrPC), Corresponds to Section 185 in Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 If police have sufficient grounds to believe that a search is necessary for an investigation and that waiting would cause evidence to disappear or be destroyed, they search without a warrant. This provision mirrors Secti...