Copyright Policy

Everyone's an author of the stuff they generate, as long as it is original or considered original in the meaning of copyright. Content can take several forms, including literary (text), artistic (pictures), and cinematographic (movies) (videos). Literary content is more common and frequently created among these, owing to the relative simplicity with which it may be written and communicated. It's entirely different when a caricature uses an image to tell a tale.

What rights do the users of a social networking site or any other online medium have over the content they post? The online and social media mediums bring unique opportunities and problems. It allows the author to convey their points of view, solicit feedback, and then quietly reply to that feedback. Social media posts often devolve into an argument, a counter-argument, and a succession of comments from other people. Is it okay for anyone to copy and paste this post/feed in any way they want?

The answer is a resounding 'No.' If the online content or feed is in the form of a text, image, video, or music, it would be protected as a literary work under the Copyright Act, providing it is an original invention. The term "original" refers to how the chain words were presented rather than the underlying concept. Like any other literary work in the offline world, no one has the right to copy or use it without the author's consent. The post would be protected as an artistic work if it was a cartoon caricature or image. The post would be protected as cinematographic art if presented as a video. The Copyright Act states that no one may use a work without the author's authorisation.

However, the individual who posts the content should be aware of the conditions of engagement with the media platform on which the content is uploaded and the platform's rights to the content. Suppose the person has agreed to the platform's condition that any content submitted becomes the platform's property. In that case, the author of the content has no basis to object if the platform uses the content.

What rights might arise in the case of a succession of comments on a social media platform? Is it possible to protect each comment, or is it only possible to protect the entire chain of comments? This is especially true when only the entire chain of comments can tell a complete story or provide context for the comments. Every comment would be considered online content.

The comment's author would have complete control over the comments if the social platform is content-neutral and does not claim any rights to the content shared by its members. Not the opinion or idea in the comment, but the literary element of the text or comment will be protected. It's feasible that the chain of comments from many authors can be protected as a collective work, with all of the contributors listed as co-authors. As the term implies, collective work refers to a collection of works by various authors, such as a magazine or newspaper.

The Copyright Act makes it illegal to copy another person's content without permission. However, the content owner should assert ownership, which could be a result of being the originator of the material or by a transfer of rights from the author of the work. Before pursuing an infringement action, you must first send a takedown notice to the platform's owner and the person who submitted the content.

When the content isn't changed frequently, it's a good idea to register for copyright registration before releasing it online. This would provide an unquestionable source of the work's creation.

Some preventative actions, such as publishing a notice that you assert copyright in work, could be done to stop possible infringers from duplicating your content. Copying of online information elsewhere on the web could be detected using technology.

Pirated content does not go undiscovered for long when it is available online. As a result, users should be cautious not to steal other users' content, lest they face legal repercussions, content shaming, or plagiarism accusations from other contributors on the platform.