Arnab Goswami bound by confidentiality clause

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NEW DELHI: Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd (BCCL), India's largest media house, had recently filed a civil suit in Delhi High Courtagainst Aranb Goswami and others, stating that audio tapes played during two stories aired on Republic TV were 'procured and accessed' by Goswami and Prema Srideviwhile they were still employed by Times Now.

During its launch on May 6, Republic TV carried an 'expose' on Lalu Prasad, where phone conversations between the former Bihar chief minister and jailed former MP Mohammed Shahabuddin, were aired. The new channel ran another 'expose' on May 8 in which the audio of conversations between Sridevi and Sunanda Pushkar and her domestic help Narayan were aired.




BCCL's internal inquiry indicated that both these 'exposes' used material that were procured and accessed by Goswami and Sridevi as employees of Times Now. They themselves admitted on Republic TV that the audio of the conversation with Pushkar and Narayan was in their possession for the last two years.



On May 26, when the civil suit was listed for hearing before Delhi HC, Justice Manmohan called upon the defendants (Goswami, Sridevi & ARG Outlier Media) for their explanation on the alleged infringement and the violation of the employment terms. In response, Goswami and Sridevi through their advocates made a statement that they had no intention of violating the IPR clauses of their employment contract with the BCCL. These statements were accepted and recorded by the judge while passing an order the same day clearly mentioning that ARG, Goswami and Sridevi were held bound by their statements.


In view of the statement made by defendants through their advocates/ counsels, the matter stands admitted and listed on August 31 for further proceedings. The court while admitting the matter against Goswami and his company, granted them six weeks to file their written statements/replies in the matter.




This comes as a huge relief for BCCL - publisher of The Times of India, The Economic Times, Navbharat Times and many others - which has been wary of misappropriation and violation of its intellectual property rights by Goswami and his company.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...nfidentiality-clause/articleshow/58873749.cms