Cinematograph (Amendment) Act and IT Framework strengthen Anti-Piracy enforcement, 7,393 URLs disabled
New Delhi, August 5
The central government has strengthened the legal and institutional framework to deal with online piracy of cinematograph films, including unauthorised dissemination of films through intermediaries such as Telegram.
As part of it, 7,393 URLs have been disabled.
The information was provided by the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Dr L Murugan, in a written reply to a Question asked by Balashowry Vallabhaneni in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The Cinematograph Act, 1952 was amended through the Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023 to introduce specific provisions to curb unauthorised recording and exhibition of films. The newly inserted Section 7(1B)(ii) empowers the government, under Section 79(3) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, to take action against intermediaries hosting pirated content.
Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000 provides for notification by appropriate governments to the intermediaries for removing/disabling access to unlawful content.
Under the Information Technology Rules, 2021, the intermediaries are required to remove any content violative of any law for the time being in force as and when brought to their knowledge either through a court order or through a notice by the appropriate government or its authorised agency.
On receipt of complaints regarding piracy of films, the Ministry issues notifications to intermediaries directing them to remove or disable access to infringing content expeditiously.
The government has also authorised the Joint Secretary (Films), Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to issue content takedown notices to intermediaries under the Information Technology Rules, 2021 and the Cinematograph Act, 1952. An institutional mechanism has also been established in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to receive complaints from copyright holders regarding pirated copies of films available on the internet and to issue notifications to intermediaries for disabling access to such content.
In accordance with the above-mentioned provisions of law, the intermediaries have been directed to disable 7,393 URLs, including 1,263 websites and 4,996 Telegram channels for film piracy.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good initiative but 7,393 URLs seems like a drop in the ocean. New piracy sites pop up faster than they can be shut down. The real solution is making films available globally on release day on legal platforms. When we have to wait months for a film to hit OTT, people turn to piracy out of frustration.
Hats off to the government for taking this seriously. As someone working in the exhibition sector, I've seen firsthand how piracy destroys small theatres. A single leak on release day can kill a film's box office collection in tier-2 and tier-3 cities where our livelihoods depend on footfall. 👏
Interesting approach but enforcement is key. The IT Rules were framed under Section 79(3) which provides immunity to intermediaries only if they comply. However, Telegram's servers are outside India. Will they actually act on Indian government notices? A coordinated international framework is needed, otherwise this remains symbolic.
While I support the anti-piracy measures, I hope the implementation doesn't lead to indiscriminate blocking of legitimate content. Sometimes users share snippets for reviews, criticism, and educational purposes. The balance between protecting IP and freedom of expression must be maintained. The authorities need to be transparent about how they evaluate takedown requests.
The entertainment industry is finally getting the protection it deserves. But let's not ignore the root cause - the economics. With rising ticket prices and OTT subscriptions, piracy becomes tempting for many. The film industry must also introspect. Release movies at the right price points and people will happily pay.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.