TOI & TV actors on Guthi issue

In a public notice issued by the producers on November 20, they have threatened legal action against anyone who copies Gutthi on their show. The notice reads: "A certain artist and a stand-up comedian associated with the programme Comedy Nights With Kapil aired on Colors television channels is planning to launch or be associated with other shows... Take notice that Viacom18 has sole, exclusive, absolute and unlimited ownership rights of all the intellectual Property rights of the Artist associated with the programme including the rights in the format of the programme."

Sunil Grover refrains from commenting on the issue, saying, "I will sound biased." However, he adds, "I too love the character as I was the one who made it and I miss it too!" In the past, Raju Srivastava has objected to his character Gajodhar being used in the film Yamla Pagla Deewana, and his act Gundon Ka Satsang being used in Inder Kumar's film Double Dhamaal. Legalities aside, whose Gutthi is she anyway - the artist or the producers'? Does a stand-up act belong to the comedian or the show/channel where it is aired?
TOI goes looking for answers

I didn't patent Gajodhar When I objected to the use of my character Gajodhar in the movie Yamla Pagla Deewana, the makers simply asked me if I had the copyright on the character. I did not do anything then, because l had never thought of seeking copyright on the character. As far as Gutthi's character is concerned, Sunil Grover had performed the same character on other shows before Comedy Nights With Kapil, so I don't understand how the channel claims to have ownership of the character. - Raju Srivastava, comedian & politcian

Why kill the character? Who a popular character belongs to depends totally on whether the character was created by the actor or by the creative team of the show. Often, an actor comes to a show with a character he has mastered. Other times, the show comes up with a script or role for the actor. Having said that, a character that becomes very popular with the audience is successful only if a particular actor essays it, so when you say you that actor cannot play that character elsewhere you are virtually killing it, that can't be right. - Arbaaz Khan, filmmaker and judge on Comedy Circus

Patents are a good idea! Getting a copyright of a particular character that a comedian is playing sounds like a good idea. I am now thinking of getting Dadi from Comedy Nights With Kapil patented. But as far as playing that character on any other show is concerned, I don't think that is a good idea. I don't know about the legalities of the issue, but morally, it is not right. More than the character being related to the show, it gets associated with the channel. Now, to play that character on some other channel is not right. - Ali Asgar, actor