Why Prasar Bharti's content is not free to use?

Independent journalists operating news channels on YouTube have been hit with copyright claims from Prasar Bharati, India’s public broadcaster. The claims are for using sound-bytes from Prime Minister’s speeches, leading to a heated debate about fair usage, copyright infringement, and the nature of information in the public domain.

Why isn't Prasar Bharti's content free?

One of the journalists affected is Abhisar Sharma, who received a copyright claim from Doordarshan, Prasar Bharati’s television division, for two of his videos. Sharma, a former employee of Zee, ABP, BBC, and NDTV, now runs an independent YouTube channel with a following of 2.92 million subscribers.

Abhisar Sharma told Medianama, "BJP spokespersons already don't talk to us, and now I can't even use my Prime Minister's sound-bytes. It's a tragedy that someone claims copyright on what the Prime Minister says. There are many government functions in the country. How can they be under copyright? Yet, under the law, they can be copyrighted."

To explain, India has a Copyright Act from 1957 that protects intellectual property rights. This law allows creators to control how their work is used. This includes content produced by the Indian government.

The law recognizes the government as the owner of copyright for works created by government employees as part of their official duties. This means the government can control who can use, copy, or show these works, as it wishes.

The incident has raised questions about the extent to which the public can use content that is in the public domain, and what constitutes fair use. The Copyright Act of 1957, which governs the protection of intellectual property rights in India, grants creators and authors exclusive rights to their works.

This includes the right to control how their creations are used, reproduced, and distributed. The Act also extends copyright protection to content produced by the Indian government.

YouTube copyright controversy

Independent journalists operating news channels on YouTube have been hit with copyright claims from Prasar Bharati, India’s public broadcaster. The claims are for using sound-bytes from Prime Minister’s speeches, leading to a heated debate about fair usage, copyright infringement, and the nature of information in the public domain.

One of the journalists affected is Abhisar Sharma, who received a copyright claim from Doordarshan, Prasar Bharati’s television division, for two of his videos. Sharma, a former employee of Zee, ABP, BBC, and NDTV, now runs an independent YouTube channel with a following of 2.92 million subscribers.

The incident has raised questions about the extent to which the public can use content that is in the public domain, and what constitutes fair use. The Copyright Act of 1957, which governs the protection of intellectual property rights in India, grants creators and authors exclusive rights to their works. This includes the right to control how their creations are used, reproduced, and distributed

However, the application of these laws to content such as speeches by public figures, which could be considered information in the public domain, remains a contentious issue. The recent copyright claims by Prasar Bharati highlight the need for clearer guidelines and regulations in this area.

The controversy also underscores the challenges faced by independent journalists in the digital age, as they navigate the complex landscape of copyright laws and fair use policies. As the debate continues, it is clear that this issue has far-reaching implications for freedom of speech and the future of journalism in India.

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