Scriptwriter Moves Delhi High Court Against 'Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls' Show, Accuses TV Presenter, Hotstar Of Copyright Infringement

A script-writer and author has filed a copyright infringement suit before Delhi High Court against Bear Grylls, Hotstar, Nat Geo India and Walt Disney alleging that his original work, being a script for a reality show, has been infringed due to broadcast of the show "Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls."

The suit, moved by one Arrmann Shankar Shharma, was listed on Friday before Justice Amit Bansal who issued notice on the plea seeking interim relief against Bear Grylls, Tom Shelly, Warner Brothers Discovery, NBC Universal Inc, Hotstar, Walt Disney and Net Geo India.

As the counsel appearing for Bear Grylls submitted that his client would like to explore mediation, the court referred the matter to mediation in Delhi High Court Mediation Centre.

Shharma in the suit submitted that in the early 2009, he conceptualized the idea of a reality show and wrote a script titled "Aakhri Dum Takk- Till The Last Breath", claiming that the same is his original literary work. As per the suit, copyright of the said script was dully registered and granted to Shharma on January 10, 2011.

"As per the copyrighted work developed by the plaintiff, a TV reality program of 7-8 episodes to be produced by taking 20 people to jungle to take up challenges to overcome the natural obstacles in different extreme terrains and sail through for about a month in the jungle without any help. After every task and stunt a team was supposed to be eliminated and at the end of the show a winner was supposed to win huge monetary award," the suit states.

Shharma has submitted that in March this year, he came to know that his copyrighted work was being infringed by the defendants by broadcasting of the show "Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls" which is being streamed on Disney+ Hotstar.

The suit avers that the infringing show is an "exact replica" of Shharma's copyrighted script and that the entire show was created and filmed in the manner as was drafted by him in his original copyrighted work.

The suit thus seeks permanent injunction restraining the defendants from broadcasting the show "Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls" so as to infringe Shharma's copyrighted script.

The matter has now been listed for mediation on January 17, 2023 and before the court on February 22, 2023.

The suit has been moved through Advocates Imran Ali and Amit Saxena.