Sony International has recently taken legal action in Sri Lanka by issuing a cease and desist letter to a local television channel over alleged intellectual property (IP) rights violations.
Sony International sent a formal legal notice, specifically a cease and desist letter, to a Sri Lankan television broadcaster.
Sony alleges that the channel is infringing upon its intellectual property rights through the production and transmission of a specific, unnamed programme. The show is reportedly a local adaptation of the “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” format, which Sony Pictures Television has already licensed exclusively to a different Sri Lankan channel.
The notice demands the immediate termination of the disputed programme’s production and broadcast.
Consequences of Non-Compliance: Sony has warned that failure to comply with the demand will lead to the initiation of formal legal proceedings without further notice, including claims for substantial financial damages.
As of late November 2025, the local channel’s management is reportedly reviewing the notice and facing a potential crisis due to the significant investment already made in the programme – including head-hunting a leading broadcaster from a competitor channel, to head the new program which is at the epi centre of the Sony Cease and Desist notice
In the past, Sony Pictures has been involved in past disputes with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) regarding the transparency of media rights bidding processes.
In a separate commercial development, Sony LIV (Sony’s digital platform) recently partnered with Dialog Axiata PLC to offer content streaming services in Sri Lanka.