Delhi High Court Shields TV9 From Unjustified Copyright Strikes

The Delhi High Court has granted protection to TV9 Network after it faced copyright strike threats from certain foreign media entities over short video clips used in news reports.

Background of the dispute
The case was filed by Associated Broadcasting Company Ltd, which operates several news channels under the TV9 brand. The company approached the court claiming that foreign copyright holders had been sending takedown notices and copyright strikes on YouTube for videos that contained small excerpts of disaster footage and other current-event visuals.

According to TV9, these clips were only a few seconds long and were included as part of news coverage explaining global events.

Court’s observations
Justice Tejas Karia examined the nature of the clips and concluded that their use was primarily for reporting current events. The judge noted that the videos were part of larger news segments and were accompanied by commentary and analysis.

The court referred to provisions in the Copyright Act, 1957 that allow the use of copyrighted material for news reporting under the doctrine of fair dealing.

Minimal use of content
The court also applied the legal principle De minimis non curat lex, meaning the law does not concern itself with trivial or insignificant use of copyrighted material. Since only brief excerpts were used, the court considered the use negligible.

Court’s ruling
The High Court ruled that TV9’s use of the clips did not amount to copyright infringement. It also restrained the defendants from issuing further threats or copyright strikes regarding the disputed videos.

Significance of the decision
This ruling highlights that media organizations may use short portions of footage when reporting news, provided the usage is limited and serves an informational purpose. The judgment is also seen as an important step toward preventing misuse of copyright enforcement tools on digital platforms.

Discription: The Delhi High Court recently protected TV9 Network from what it described as unjustified copyright strike threats issued by foreign media entities. The case was filed by Associated Broadcasting Company Ltd, which operates TV9 channels, after short video clips used in its news reports were targeted with copyright claims on YouTube. Justice Tejas Karia observed that the clips were brief and used only for reporting current events with commentary. The Court held that such use falls within the “fair dealing” exception under the Copyright Act, 1957, which allows limited use of copyrighted material for news reporting. The judge also applied the principle of De minimis non curat lex, stating that trivial use of content should not lead to legal action. The Court ultimately restrained the defendants from issuing further groundless copyright threats against TV9’s videos.