THRISSUR: It is a social media post by the ARN Media here which set off the row as it alleged Sony Music Entertainment has secured copyright for pandi melam, panchari melam and panchavadyam through the multilingual film ‘The Sound Story’ starring Resul Pookutty which has Thrissur Pooram as its backdrop. Pookutty had recorded ilanjithara melam and panchavadyam during the pooram in 2017.
Live broadcast of major festivals in the district, including the Thrissur Pooram, is a common practice among local media outfits. “We have been in this field for eight years. Many people especially those who live in foreign countries watch our live telecast without any ad breaks,” said Vinu Mohanan, owner of ARN Media. Vinu had tried live streaming Arattupuzha-Peruvanam Pooram as well on Facebook, which was blocked citing copyright issues. “They have clearly said that Sony Music Entertainment have the copyright for these tracks. How is it possible that they get the copyrights for a festival being held here for centuries?” asks Vinu.
For Jithin Kunissery, the experience was not so different. “I tried to upload a video of Thayambaka by Ottapalam Hari in April 2019. I received a notice from YouTube saying Thayambaka had copyright with Sony Music Entertainment. Though I used to receive similar notices for some videos, it used to revoke when we disputed it in court. But here, Sony has stuck to its claims,” he said.