GOVERNMENT INVITES COMMENTS ON REGISTRATION OF SCREENWRITERS RIGHTS ASSOCIATION OF INDIA (SRAI) AS A COPYRIGHT SOCIETY.
The Copyright Office vide its public notice dated November 27, 2020 has invited for objections/ comments, if any from public/ stakeholders, in respect of application filed by Screenwriters Rights Association of India (SRAI) for registration as a copyright society under Section 33 of the Copyright Act in literary and dramatic works such as story, script, screenplay, dialogues or any other literary works (excluding lyrics).
While SRAI’s registration as a copyright society, if achieved, will definitely help in the writers collecting royalties, it would be an uphill task to see the implementation where all rights in the film are owned by producers. This registration is bound to change the dynamics of the way the audio-visual industry currently works in India.
I&B MINISTRY TO SEEK TRANSFER OF ALL OTT-RELATED CASES TO SUPREME COURT.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry is preparing to file a petition seeking the transfer of all court cases against OTT platforms in India to the Supreme Court. As per official sources, the decision to transfer all cases related to OTT platforms was taken since around 20 cases against OTT content are being heard in different courts all over India, and it will be more helpful if the top court hears them all.
FILM AND TELEVISION INSTITUTE OF INDIA (FTII) RESEARCH PAPER ARGUES AGAINST CENSORSHIP OF OTT CONTENT.
A policy paper authored by Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Chief Shekhar Kapur and Vani Tripathi Tikoo, a board member of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has argued against censorship of content on over-the-top (OTT) platforms & instead advocated industry -led benchmarks to preserve creative freedom.
OTT INDUSTRY TO DRAFT A TOOL KIT TO IMPLEMENT SELF-REGULATION CODE.
The over-the-top (OTT) industry and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) have joined hands to draft an implementation tool kit that will detail the manner in which a proposed self-regulation code for video on demand services will be applicable. The move comes after the government conveyed that the self-regulation code, curated by the IAMAI and adopted by nearly 15 OTT players, did not clearly specify the way it will be implemented.
SUPREME COURT ORDERS INSTALLATION OF CCTV CAMERAS WITH AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDING IN ALL INVESTIGATION AGENCIES AND POLICE STATIONS.
In a move aimed at checking police brutality, the Supreme Court has passed an order that every police station in the country must be equipped with night-vision Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, capable of recording both the video and the audio. Apart from police stations, CCTV cameras will have to be installed at the offices of the CBI, NIA, ED, NCB, DRI, SFIO and any other central agency office which does interrogations, and has the power to arrest people. According to the order, CCTV cameras should be installed across a given police station, including the main gate of the police station, all lock-ups, areas outside the lock-up room, all corridors, reception, all verandas/outhouses, inspector’s room, and even outside toilets.
DELHI HIGH COURT INJUNCTS UNAUTHORISED BROADCAST OF INDIA-AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL CRICKET 2020 SERIES BY WEBSITES ON SONY PICTURES’S PLEA.
On hearing a plea filed by Sony Pictures Network India Pvt Ltd, the Delhi High court has ordered an injunction to unauthorize broadcasting of international test series from websites like www.b1.mylivecricket.biz and others. The plea claimed Sony has exclusive media distribution right in the upcoming India Australia International Cricket Series, 2020. The court also instructed ISPs to block the website which does unauthorized broadcasting/ transmission of the match.
