Norowzian v Arks Ltd & Ors [1998] EWHC 315 (Ch) (17 July 1998)

'Joy' is neither a dramatic work nor a recording of a dramatic work within the meaning of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as the edited film does not record a performance capable of being physically performed. Even if it were a dramatic work, 'Anticipation' does not reproduce a substantial part of it....

Source-derived case information.

Citation: [1998] EWHC 315 (Ch)
Parties: Plaintiff: Mr. Norowzian; First Defendant: Arks Limited; Second Defendant: Guinness Brewing Worldwide Limited; Third Defendant: Guinness plc
Jurisdiction: England and Wales
Judgment Date: 17 July 1998
Procedural Posture: Copyright Infringement Claim / High Court Judgment
Outcome: Claim dismissed
Legal Topics: Copyright, Dramatic Works, Film Copyright, Infringement, Originality

Intellectual Property Law Copyright Dramatic Works Film Copyright Infringement Originality

Source-derived case record

Summary, issues, holding and outcome

More case intelligence is available

Unlock the full research layer for this judgment.

Full judgment text Downloadable case file Legal principles 3 Authorities cited 4 Party arguments 2 Amounts and remedies 1

Parties

Mr. Norowzian

Plaintiff

Arks Limited

First Defendant

Guinness Brewing Worldwide Limited

Second Defendant

Guinness plc

Third Defendant

Procedural Posture

Legal Issues

1 Whether the film 'Joy' constitutes or comprises a dramatic work under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
2 Whether the Guinness advertisement 'Anticipation' infringes any copyright subsisting in 'Joy'

Ratio Decidendi

Court Disposition

Claim dismissed

Orders

Plaintiff's claim for copyright infringement is dismissed against all defendants.
Claim in passing off was abandoned during trial.

About this LexChat collection

Publisher and coverage

LexChat is published by Esheria. Coverage reflects the case law currently mapped from identified source collections; it may be incomplete, delayed, or later corrected. The official source controls where it differs from this research page.

AI and research method

Source-derived facts are shown separately from AI-generated material. If an AI summary is available, it is explicitly labelled and remains a non-authoritative research aid.

Corrections and reporting

Report a source mismatch, factual issue, personal-data concern, or licensing question to support@esheria.co.ke. Include this page's URL and the supporting official source so the record can be reviewed, corrected, restricted, or withdrawn.

Legal-information disclaimer

LexChat provides legal information and research tools, not legal advice. Verify currency, status, citations, and jurisdiction with authoritative sources and a qualified professional where appropriate.