Sixth grader in Pakistan sues President House officials over plagiarism

A sixth grader in Pakistan, through his father, has sued officials at the President House at the Islamabad High Court, accusing them for plagiarising and using his speech without his consent.

Eleven-year-old Mohammad Sabeel Haider, a student of Islamabad Model College for Boys, said on Friday that he was chosen to deliver a speech at the President House in Islamabad on December 22, reports the Dawn.

The ceremony was recorded and is supposed to be aired on Pakistan Television on December 25, marking the 141st birth anniversary of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.

However, when Sabeel arrived at the President's House, he was informed he will no longer be delivering the speech.

He said in his petition that a tenth-grader delivered the speech he had written and prepared, alleging that his intellectual property was stolen.

According to Sabeel's lawyer, as per Section 3 of Intellectual Property and Copyrights Ordinance 1967, a literary piece that the person has produced themselves cannot be used by a third party without their consent.

The court's judgement in this regard has been reserved.