Sharing PDF versions of newspapers without authorisation amounts to a significant breach of copyright law and creates several ills for the media industry.
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Sharing PDF versions of newspapers without authorisation amounts to a significant breach of copyright law and creates several ills for the media industry, for which I want to enunciate some of the harms associated with this practice, based on legal and industry standards as in copyright infringement and legal actions, i.e., illegal distribution of news articles, photos, and editorials are protected by copyright and its unauthorised sharing, or distribution in PDF format violates these laws. Consequently, the legal risk for sharers, especially for individuals sharing e-paper PDFs, particularly in WhatsApp groups or Telegram channels, may result in legal action. Moreover, administrators of WhatsApp groups can be held liable for circulating copyrighted PDF newspaper content in their groups.
We, the citizens of Nagaland, as responsible and upright citizens in a democratic polity, must wholly respect the law of the land and completely refrain from such practices. We must know the economic setbacks faced by media houses from loss of revenue, as fewer people subscribe to the e-paper or purchase physical copies when newspapers are shared freely. The other major concern is the impact on journalists, as the reduction in revenue affects media houses' ability to pay staff, leading to slashed production costs and job losses for journalists; one case study being the closure of the reputed daily Nagaland Page run by Monalisa Changkija. The other inferences are related to the threat to quality journalism, as widespread unauthorised sharing limits the ability to fund in-depth reporting.
In a closer examination, inferences can be drawn about the destruction of the news ecosystem, particularly the sustainability of small media houses, especially regional ones struggling to survive when their content is shared freely. Another poignant side effect is reduced quality reporting, because if a news outlet cannot monetise its work, it may have to cut costs, resulting in fewer reporters and less comprehensive news coverage.
Legally speaking, the Copyright Act, 1957, protects original creative works, including journalism and news publishing. Section 63 clearly states penalties for copyright infringement, and based on it, in 2022, the Supreme Court of India made a big decision regarding Section 63, as it clarified confusion about whether these crimes allow police to arrest without a court order. The penalty for such acts is at least six months imprisonment, which can be extended up to three years. Violators can also be fined INR 50,000, which can go up to INR 200,000. In a landmark judgement in Knit Pro International versus State of NCT of Delhi in 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that copyright infringement offences, as listed in the Code of Criminal Procedure, are punishable with up to three years of imprisonment and allows the police to make arrests without a warrant. The court ruled that these crimes don't need court permission for police to act.
Therein, I once again humbly appeal to all citizens of the State to completely cease and desist from such practices and habits. From this day onwards, let us be sensitive and honour the media fraternity, who are sacrificing so much to keep the flames of democracy alive and who, at times, risk their very own lives to keep us well-informed about the latest happenings from around the world.
Hayithung Bill Lotha