IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack – ANI Sues Netflix for Unauthorized Use of Footage
The recently released web series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack on Netflix is now embroiled in a new controversy. Following initial issues with the portrayal of terrorist names, a new challenge has arisen for Netflix. News agency ANI has filed a petition in court against Netflix and the makers of the series. ANI demands the removal of four episodes from the series, alleging that their content (video footage) was used without permission. Reuters has reported this, quoting ANI’s lawyers.
Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the web series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack has garnered attention since its release on Netflix. Amidst confusion over the names of the terrorist characters, ANI has approached the court against the series’ creators and Netflix. The series has revived old wounds in the minds of Indians by depicting the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight.
On December 24, 1999, an Indian Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Delhi was hijacked by five terrorists armed with guns and ammunition. After taking control of the plane 40 minutes after takeoff, the terrorists diverted it to Amritsar, Lahore, Dubai, and finally to Kandahar in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The plane was held in Kandahar for eight days, during which the terrorists negotiated with the Indian government and secured the release of terrorists Masood Azhar, Omar Shaikh, and Mushtaq Ahmed, who were in Indian custody, in exchange for the passengers’ release.
What is ANI’s Allegation?
ANI has filed a petition against Netflix and the series makers, claiming that their trademarked footage was used without authorization. ANI’s lawyer Siddhant Kumar stated, “The makers of the series have used ANI’s trademarked content. This series is being criticized from all quarters and is tarnishing our trademark. Therefore, our news organization believes that Netflix should remove the episodes containing ANI footage. The Delhi High Court has accepted our plea and has also sought a response from Netflix. Netflix used footage of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, General Pervez Musharraf, and terrorist Masood Azhar, among others, which belongs to ANI. They did not obtain permission to use this footage.”
