Overview

• On July 10–11, a division bench of Justices MS Sonak and Jitendra Jain quashed the April 2013 and March 2014 government orders barring convenience fees on online movie ticket bookings.
• The judges ruled the directives lacked backing under the 1923 Maharashtra Entertainment Duty Act and were therefore unconstitutional.
• The verdict found that prohibiting convenience fees infringed Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to carry on any trade or business.
• Petitioners PVR Ltd, BookMyShow operator Big Tree Entertainment and the FICCI-Multiplex Association secured an interim stay in July 2014, allowing sites to continue charging fees while litigation proceeded.
• The court clarified it did not rule on whether convenience fees attract entertainment duty, leaving that fiscal question unresolved.