New Delhi, Nov. 16 -- A few months ago, the Karnataka government amended the state's cinema regulation rules to cap ticket prices at Rs.200. The multiplex industry association challenged this in the high court and secured a stay order.

The state government appealed, upon which a division bench of the high court maintained the stay, but required movie theatres to keep auditable records of every single ticket sold, including the price, time stamp, mode of booking, mode of payment and so on. This was to facilitate refunds should the industry association lose the case.

This in turn was stayed by the Supreme Court earlier this month, albeit with the comment that "prices should be fixed" to make cinemas more affordable.

At first glance, this...