SC could take up TRAI-Star case on tariff regulations

SC could take up TRAI-Star case on tariff regulations

TRAI

MUMBAI: The Star India-TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) case, which attracted a split verdict in the Madras High Court (HC) recently, took another turn today with the Supreme Court (SC) while adjourning case till Monday showed inclination to dispose of the case itself.

As per reports emanating from the SC, the broadcast carriage regulator TRAI will likely file in SC a transfer petition by Monday when the apex court will look into the case for possible listing for likely hearing in July 2018.

The Madras HC judges, while agreeing that various tariff related points (like capping discounting offered by broadcasters and MRP, for example) in TRAI’s proposed tariff regulations were arbitrary, could not arrive at a consensus whether the regulator had overstepped to regulate business models related to copyrights over content.

The Madras HC had further said that another judge would hear the issues. It was hearing the case as petitioners Star India and Vijay TV had filed a case against the 2016 tariff regulations and the SC had directed the HC to dispose of the case within a certain time frame.

As hearings continued in the HC, other industry bodies like AIDCF and a couple of companies joined the issue with high profile lawyers arguing the case for and against the petition.

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