Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd vs. Chandragupta Amerasinghe – sllr 2013 volume 1 page 290

The case between Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd (Defendant-Appellant) and Chandraguppta Amerasinghe (Respondent/Plaintiff) addressed the issue of copyright infringement concerning the unauthorized publication of photographs captured during the 1983 communal riots. It was held that the respondent, as the original photographer, retained exclusive copyright and associated economic and moral rights. The court determined that the appellant’s publication without authorization or proper attribution constituted a violation of these rights. The decision confirmed that failures in litigation strategy, specifically the omission to properly contest factual findings at the initial trial, precluded challenges at the appeal stage. The High Court’s award of damages was affirmed, and further costs awa