New Delhi: The Centre strengthened anti-piracy laws under the Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023, introducing strict penalties for unauthorised recording and transmission of films.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated that Sections 6AA and 6AB now prohibit illegal recording and sharing of films. Officials said offenders face a minimum three months in jail and a fine of Rs 3 lakh. The punishment may extend to three years in prison and fines up to 5% of a film’s audited production cost.
The government also invoked Section 7(1B) to notify intermediaries hosting pirated content. Authorities said this enables action under the Information Technology Act, 2000 to remove such material.
As part of enforcement, the Centre notified the Telegram platform on March 11, 2026. Officials directed it to remove 3,142 channels accused of sharing unauthorised film content linked to producers and OTT platforms.
In addition, authorities blocked access to around 800 websites through Internet Service Providers for hosting pirated content.
Anti-piracy laws enforcement expands under IT Rules 2021
Officials said the anti-piracy laws are supported by the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. These rules require intermediaries to act quickly against unlawful content.
Rule 3(1)(b) mandates platforms to prevent hosting or sharing content that violates copyright and other proprietary rights. Authorities said intermediaries must remove such content when notified by the government or courts.
The Ministry of I&B also set up a mechanism with designated nodal officers to handle piracy complaints. Copyright holders and authorised persons can submit complaints in a prescribed format.
Officials stated that once complaints are verified, the government issues notices to intermediaries to disable access to infringing links.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L Murugan shared these details in the Rajya Sabha in response to a query.
