In a significant ruling, the Bombay High Court has directed popular YouTuber Gaurav Taneja, known as ‘Flying Beast,’ to remove two videos from his YouTube channel for violating Castrol India Ltd’s copyright. The videos, shot during a Castrol promotional campaign in the United States, were uploaded without proper credit to the company or promotion of its campaign, as required under the terms of the agreement.
The court’s decision came after Castrol India Ltd filed a copyright infringement suit against Taneja. The petition stated that in April 2024, Castrol launched a campaign titled ‘Castronomy,’ in which video bloggers were invited to the US for a zero-gravity flight experience. Castrol covered the travel, accommodation, and participation costs for the bloggers in exchange for content promoting both the company and the campaign.
Taneja participated in the campaign, joining American YouTuber Eric Decker in May for the three-day event. Castrol claimed that Taneja shot videos and photographs during the experience but failed to credit the company or mention the ‘Castronomy’ campaign in his content. On October 29 and November 1, Taneja uploaded two videos titled ‘Ready to go in Zero Gravity with @airrack’ and ‘Flying in zero gravity’ on his YouTube channel, which did not comply with the terms set by Castrol.
The company attempted to resolve the matter amicably, offering Taneja ₹5 lakh to take down the videos, but the YouTuber refused to comply, leading Castrol to file the suit. Castrol contended that Taneja’s actions amounted to unauthorized use of the company’s content and that he had leveraged it for his own benefit without proper acknowledgment.
Justice Riyaz Chagla, hearing the case, granted interim relief to Castrol, ordering Taneja to remove the videos. In his observations, the court highlighted that Castrol appeared to be the primary producer and copyright holder of the content, which Taneja had uploaded without permission. The court’s ruling emphasized the importance of respecting intellectual property rights and adhering to contractual obligations in promotional campaigns.
As of now, Taneja has been directed to take down the infringing content from his YouTube channel, and the case is expected to progress with further legal proceedings.
Sources By Agencies