Is local cinema confused about copyrights?

That's what recent legal notices issued by EMI to this year's crop of films seems to suggest.

Of late, filmmakers have taken to resurrecting the classics in their work, presenting them to today's audience anew. Bajrangi Bhaijaan's use of the Sabri brother's Bhar Do Joli 'without the fulfillment of legal requirements' prompted EMI Pakistan to take action.

EMI Pakistan is now raising objections against Dekh Magar Pyaar Se's use of Naheed Akhtar's song 'I Am Sweety'.

"The song 'I Am Sweety' featured in DMPS is from EMI Pakistan's archive and was sung by Naheed Akhtar," EMI Pakistan's Zeeshan Chaudhry told Dawn.com. "It was also released in a Babra Sharif film called Kora Kaghaz. DMPS has not fulfilled the formality of asking for permission to feature this song in the movie. The song's original singer and creator was not credited either."

"There was a lot of attention given to copyright issues in Bajrangi Bhaijaan, but my main concern is that within Pakistan we don't even credit our own musicians. We point fingers at Bollywood, but first we must set our own house in order. It is about giving respect to our own artists," he added.

Many question whether the copyrights of classic songs are valid; some pose the argument that they are now part of the region's folklore and hence open for use by all.

However, according to Pakistan's Copyright Ordinance (1962), copyrights of musical works published during the lifetime of artistes are valid throughout their lifetime and till 50 years of their passing, according to which 'I Am Sweety's copyright still holds.