Showing strictness on the increasing online piracy of content of films and OTT platforms in the country, the Central Government has issued a notice to Telegram. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has directed Telegram to take effective action with immediate effect against channels and groups sharing pirated movies, web series and other copyrighted content on its platform.
New Delhi: The Central Government has taken a big step regarding the increasing piracy of films and OTT content on digital platforms. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued a notice to messaging platform Telegram, directing it to immediately stop the spread of pirated content on its platform and submit a detailed action report in this regard within 15 days.
This step of the government is considered important towards ensuring the safety of India’s rapidly growing creator economy, film industry, OTT platforms, producers and distributors.
Strictness on piracy, emphasis on fixing accountability of platforms
According to sources, the government is now focusing on holding digital platforms accountable, moving beyond the traditional approach of merely removing pirated content. The officials clarified that piracy is no longer just a civil violation but is also a serious criminal offense under the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
The government side says that instead of merely reacting on receiving complaints, the platforms will have to adopt a pro-active monitoring system, so that illegal content can be stopped at the initial stage.
What was said by telegram?
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has given clear instructions to Telegram to ensure that its platform is not used to share illegal copies of films, web series and OTT content. The government also said that mere removal of individual channels is not enough, but it is mandatory for the platforms to follow due diligence at the overall level.
According to an official, “Being an intermediary under the IT Act 2000 and IT Rules 2021, it is the responsibility of the platform to take effective steps to prevent illegal content.”
Information also sought on grievance redressal mechanism
The government has also sought information from Telegram as to what type of Grievance Redressal Mechanism it provides for film producers, OTT platforms and law enforcement agencies. Under this, it has been asked how complaints of copyright infringement or piracy are filed on the platform and how fast they are resolved.
Officials also indicated that if a satisfactory response is not received from the platform, further stringent regulatory action may be taken. This action has come at a time when the central government has become more active than ever in monitoring digital platforms. Recently, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had also issued a notice to Meta. In this, clarification was sought on matters related to the username feature of WhatsApp and some controversial advertisements on Instagram.
Experts believe that the government is now moving towards implementing strict compliance standards for social media and messaging platforms.
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