Central nodal officers appointed to act against pirated content on digital platforms

Union Minister Anurag Thakur said, “The content creator spends a lot of time and energy making good content; people who are involved in piracy take away that content and exhibit it in halls and on online platforms. The annual loss to the industry is Rs 20,000 crore.”

“We have appointed 12 nodal officers in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Central Bureau of Film Certification (CBFC) with whom complaints related to film piracy can be lodged and action will be taken within 48 hours,” Thakur said. He also explained that those indulging in piracy could now be fined from Rs 3 lakh to five per cent of the gross audited value of production.

Officials say that an original copyright holder or anybody authorised by them for this purpose can apply to a nodal officer to have pirated content removed. If a complaint is filed by someone who does not have the copyright or is not authorised by the copyright holder, the Nodal Officer may hold hearings to determine the complaint’s validity before giving directives.

A statement by the I&B Ministry on Friday said digital platforms – such as YouTube, Telegram channels, websites or other online platforms – will be required by law to remove internet links with pirated content within 48 hours of obtaining instructions from the nodal officer.

Piracy has increased due to the expansion of the internet and the desire of practically everyone to consume film content for free, the Ministry statement said, adding that the step would empower them to take immediate action in cases of piracy, providing relief to the businesses.

Speaking about the Bill in Parliament, Thakur had stated that the Act aimed to curb film piracy, a measure which has been a long-standing demand of the film industry. The Act was amended after 40 years to incorporate provisions against film piracy, including digital piracy after the last significant amendments were made in 1984.

“Piracy is a big menace not only for the film industry, but for the entire world. Now, action against it is just a complaint away,” Thakur said.