High court order against LIVE Viacom18, Vagator finalized as venue for Sunburn Goa ’13

As the latest development in the power struggle between Percept’s Sunburn and LIVE Viacom18’s Supersonic, sources claim that the Bombay High Court has issued an order on December 9, 2013 asking VH1 Supersonic festival organisers LIVE Viacom18 to submit a fresh application for permissions to the Goa State Level Permission Committee (SLPC) within four days.This decision came after Percept filed a police complaint with the Mumbai High Court against LIVE Viacom18 regarding “Copyright Infringement over the presentation style” of the LIVE Viacom18 event and theft of “confidential trade secrets”.
Percept in association with Nikhil Chinapa incepted Sunburn in 2007 and has been organizing the festival consecutively for the past seven years at Candolim, Goa. Earlier this year after Nikhil Chinapa parted ways with Percept and Joined hands with LIVE Viacom18 both parties began competing over the date, venue and template of their festivals resulting in Live Viacom18 being granted the venue at Candolim by the state. A Percept spokesperson revealed ‘Sunburn has been issued permissions for the same by the Goa government and VH1 Supersonic will have to apply for all permissions again’.
Percept claims that the High Court has passed a judgement in their favour, stating that LIVE Viacom18 must “file a fresh application for holding the Supersonic event during 26th December to 30th December, 2013 at Candolim Beach, Goa without using the literary and artistic work contained in the presentation”.
Meanwhile Sunburn Goa has adopted 500,000 sq. metres of land in Vagator and is charging ahead with its plans to present an event that is apparently 10 times bigger than 2012.
Other new features announced for Sunburn 2013 include On-Site Camping, an Artist Village where visitors can meet and interact with DJs, Sunburn cruises on the adjoining Arabian Sea, hot air balloon rides, kite flying, ferris wheels, football matches, paracopter rides, book libraries, circus, tents and an open air movie theatre.
With only 15 days to go, it goes without saying pulses must be racing high for both parties. Only time will tell who will prevail.