FIR against Yash Raj Films for 'pocketing' Rs 100 crore royalties

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An FIR was registered against Yash Raj Films Company and its directors for allegedly pocketing Rs 100 crore by collecting music royalties of members of the Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS) by Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police, an official said on Wednesday.

The IPRS recently filed a complaint against the Bollywood production house with the EOW. The Society alleged that Yash Raj Films did not let them collect royalties from telecom companies, radio stations, and music streaming platforms.

The FIR mentions names of YRF company and its directors Aditya and Uday Chopra, an official said.
The complainant claimed the IPRS has the exclusive right to collect royalties on behalf of artists and music producers but the YRF collected it unauthorisedly.

"Yash Raj Films Company and its directors allegedly pocketed Rs 100 crore by collecting music royalties of members of the Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS)," the official said quoting the complaint. The case has been registered under sections 409 (criminal breach of trust) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of the Copyright
Act, the official said.

"Since this is a legal case the board cant comment about it until tomorrow," said a representative of the IPRS. The YRF has not issued any statement yet.

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