The American novelist at the heart of the row over Sahara TV's screening of the much-hyped Karishma series, starring Karisma Kapoor, on Tuesday said she was not averse to a compromise over the unauthorised use of her material, but would protect her rights.

Barbara Taylor Bradford is the author of the best selling Yorkshire epic A Woman of Substance and other novels based on a heroine called Emma Harte.

"I only found out a few weeks ago," Bradford told rediff.com "Of course I am trying to protect my future work. Also, enough is enough."

She said an Indian fan had written to her saying A Woman of Substance was going to be adapted for Indian television. "It was a complete surprise."

Her lawyers then discovered that Akash Deep, the producer of the Karishma series, which will have 260 episodes, had publicly admitted that his programme was inspired by DVDs he bought on the Internet of A Woman of Substance.

Deep was said to have boasted that it was easier for him to use a tried and tested storyline.

An outraged Taylor, accompanied by her husband, flew out to New Delhi and Kolkata at the end of last month and secured a high court injunction to prevent the series from being shown.

The injunction was lifted and then re-imposed half an hour before the first episode was broadcast on Monday night.

Deep and Sahara TV said they did not receive the second injunction in time.

"These people did not contact me about their series at all," Taylor continued. "It is intellectual rape. They have taken my ideas, my talent and my writing.

"This is obviously for me, but it is also a battle for every writer. In the fight for intellectual property people try and steal everything, and we are going to stop it."