This is a brief summary of what happened: On 8th May 2019, Mystic Tree, a small collaborative music project involving several international artists, received an email from their international music distributor. They were informed, much to their shock, that a certain aarti.jain@rp-sg.in had filed a copyright infringement claim with several online music stores and streaming services against their recently released Hanuman Chalisa (Reggae Version) track.
Without giving Mystic Tree a chance at rebuttal or even query the nature of the alleged infringement, RP-SG forced the removal of the entire release (including the instrumental version) of their Hanuman Chalisa track from all online stores and streaming services. Mystic Tree was given no further information or explanation, and simply told to contact the complainant’s email address above to resolve the issue.
Since then we have written to Aarti Jain of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group several times, requesting her to share the nature and details of the deemed infringement. Not surprisingly, there has been no response. So basically, the tracks which we spent several months working on, have been removed and we have no idea why, or next steps to take, if any. Thank you RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group.
The question that we would now like to ask our audience is whether they deem it morally acceptable of RP-SG to claim rights over a prayer that is several hundred years old, is in the public domain and has numerous renditions of it sung by various artists in a variety of traditional melodies? Considering that the Hanuman Chalisa track is a devotional one, with purely spiritual fulfillment as its goal, what could RP-SG hope to gain by forcing this track to be removed? Money? If the only objective of doing so is purely profit-oriented, then this act is not just morally reprehensible, but pathetic even, given that the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group is a $3BN USD company!
We have created this website to help raise awareness of this issue, and also to gather public sentiment. Surely no corporate has the right to dictate who can produce and share their version of an ancient prayer? If this is acceptable, we believe it is setting a dangerous precedent and the primary victim will be spirituality.
Loading ...Please leave your thoughts and comments below – we look forward to hearing from you!
Absolutely unacceptable. RP-Sanjiv Goenka group: so you’re going to hijack how I worship Lord Shri Hanuman? Who gave you dominion over how 100s of millions of Hindus choose to model their relationship with one of the most cherished of Hindu Gods? And you have the audacity not even to respond?
Its not just devotional, its an intigral part of a Hindu religious and mythological heritage. Elements of religion can never be brought under patent. If it is so, than people will start acquiring patents on various religious sub-texts and so many ancient Sanskrit slokas and texts !
This attempt to hijack a song which is a heritage of the Hindus is highly deplorable particularly when this heinous attempt is made by Arati Jain, a Hindu !
I think the government must be appraised of this and probable legal measures should be explored.
Why do you need to earn money by distorting hindu devotional songs. Music has wide range and artists. Why not invest money on them to earn than hurt our sentiments.
Shailendra.. We’re not earning money from this and that was never the primary intention or drive for creating an alternative version. These new versions appeals more to the younger generation and encourages and promotes spirituality to people who would otherwise never listen to those verses. Who are RpSg, or you, to say how we should pray or sing the Hanuman Chalisa?
First thing, the picture you have released to show your issue is condemnable. You can not share such a picture of God Hanuman. The thing RP-SG group is that there is no right to any company, on Hindu literature.
They have other religions to try and they should once, atleast to know why they shouldn’t .. just coz hindus don’t throw fatwas their greed can’t be lopsided … intent to profit should show risk taking, therefore they should please try the *brahamics if they have the balls for risk taking ?
How you can do this
This scared chalisa have a specific tune n rhythm.
Stop immediately to hurting us.
m*******d hain sale ye cooorporate walle log
No individual or corporate or multinational company has rights over our Vedic tradition and Hanuman Chalisa.