News Agency ANI Sues Netflix Over ‘IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack’ Content; Check Details

New Delhi: The web series titled ‘IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack’ has run into fresh controversy.

Indian news agency ANI (Asian News International) has sued Netflix Inc and producers of the fictionalised version of the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight from Kathmandu for using its content without permission.

The news agency has asked for four episodes to be taken down, ANI’s lawyer told Reuters on Monday.

“They have used copyright archival footage of ANI without licence, they have also used the (ANI) trademark,” said Sidhant Kumar, counsel for ANI.

“Since the series has come into criticism, our trademark and brand name is being tarnished,” Kumar said, adding that ANI wants Netflix to remove four episodes where its content has been used.

The Delhi High Court agreed to hear the case and sought Netflix’s response, Kumar said.

Netflix is yet to respond to a request from Reuters, which has a minority stake in ANI.

The web series, which started streaming on Netflix on August 29, has been embroiled in controversy.

There was a wave of protest on social media over portrayal of two of the hijackers using Hindu names when they were Muslims.

The Information & Broadcasting ministry summoned the Netflix India content head for an explanation.

Netflix subsequently added disclaimers to the six-episode show and said that the code names used in the series reflected those used during the actual event.