Published Paper Details:

This study's purpose is to look into copyright infringement on social media, particularly messaging apps in India. The effectiveness of the legal system's enforcement will also be covered. An online survey will be undertaken to gauge user awareness of copyright infringement. It will conclude with recommendations for addressing these growing challenges in order to protect innovation and related commercial interests. Copyright protection is essential for creation and knowledge development in any country. Such rights improve the creative environment by giving creators or inventors recognition and economic benefits. If financial losses occur due to copyright infringement, it will affect the motivation of creators and developers. Concerns about copyright protection are growing as digitalization and internet usage both expand swiftly. People share copyrighted items, including newspapers, magazines, books, photos, videos, etc., on websites and user-based social media sites. For instance, Kurukshetra is a subscription-based rural journal published by the Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Its content is not available for sale or sharing on any other sites. Despite a very clear warning, many websites are still sharing its scanned copy1. Not only websites, people are sharing its pdf on messaging apps like telegram2. Yojana magazine is also experiencing this challenge. In the same manner, there are many websites3 and messaging apps4 which are sharing e-papers, those are available on their authentic platforms at very nominal subscription charges. This unauthorized sharing harms the business of newspapers, which are the main source of information and updates for society. The film industry is also facing the same issue. Movies are leaked and shared online before their release5. There are many websites that provide unauthorized copies of subscription based video content. These unauthorized distributions of copyrighted content harm their creators' income. It also impacts the government's revenue, as it does not come under the purview of taxation. The Copyright Act of 1957 and the IT Act of 2000 are the primary legal instruments for regulating infringement of copyright. To combat copyright infringement by internet users, intermediaries (hosts or search engines) must be held accountable for hosting content that is infringing on copyright. But these Acts do not contain any such clear and specific measures. So, in order to hold platforms accountable for hosting unauthorized copyright content, it is necessary to update the copyright-related laws and enforce them properly. Simultaneously, steps for mass awareness are also needed to reduce the copyright infringement on user-based social media platforms.