Hyderabad, March 16: The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCBS) has unveiled a new anti-piracy disclaimer and standard operating procedures (SOP) aimed at combating film piracy. This initiative was launched on Monday, just before film screenings in theaters.
The purpose of the disclaimer is to inform audiences about the legal consequences of film piracy. Additionally, a campaign against camcording— the illegal recording of films in theaters—has also been initiated.
Shikha Goyal, the director of TGCBS, and Daggubati Suresh Babu, president of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC), formally inaugurated this initiative during a consultative meeting. This meeting aimed to enhance collaboration between law enforcement agencies and the film industry to tackle the challenges posed by digital piracy.
Earlier in January, TGCBS had established an anti-piracy unit in collaboration with TFCC to curb film piracy.
During the meeting, industry representatives discussed the extent of film piracy and its impact. According to TGCBS, the Telugu film industry suffers an estimated loss of around ₹3,700 crores annually due to piracy, while the Indian film industry loses over ₹22,400 crores.
Investigations have revealed that piracy primarily occurs from two sources: leaks of HD quality content at the post-production or digital service provider level before film releases, and camcording in theaters, which is responsible for most cases.
Shikha Goyal explained that the new SOP establishes a comprehensive framework for investigating piracy cases. This includes filing FIRs under the Copyright Act, Cinematograph Act, and IT Act, conducting forensic examinations of pirated content, identifying source theaters through watermarking and server data analysis, coordinating with digital service providers, securing electronic evidence, and blocking infringing URLs under IT regulations.
The anti-piracy disclaimer launched during the meeting will be displayed before film screenings in theaters across the country and will also be included in the screening packages of digital service providers and exhibitors.
This disclaimer will warn audiences that film piracy or unauthorized recording is a punishable offense, which can result in imprisonment for up to three years, fines up to ₹3 lakhs, or penalties of up to 5% of the film’s production cost.
My name is Narendra Jijhontiya. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including TECHNOLOGY, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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