Raghav Chadha raises voice for digital creators in Rajya Sabha, demands copyright act amendment
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu) : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha raised the issue of the interests of digital content creators in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. Demanding important amendments to the Copyright Act, 1957, he said that today millions of Indians are earning their livelihood by working on digital platforms, but their hard work and earnings are lost in a few minutes due to arbitrary algorithms. Speaking during Zero Hour, Raghav Chadha said that today India's digital content creators have become the country's 'grassroot communicators'. They are providing information and entertainment to the society as teachers, critics, satirists, artists, musicians, entertainers and influencers.
He said that for these people, a YouTube channel or Instagram page is not just a means of entertainment, but also their source of income and their biggest asset, built with years of hard work. Raghav Chadha expressed concern that sometimes a mere 2-3 second clip, background music, or use of any content results in a copyright strike, and the entire channel or page is removed. Years of hard work are lost in a matter of minutes. Livelihoods should be decided by law, not arbitrary algorithms.
He clarified that he is not against the rights of copyright holders, but that 'fair use' should not be equated with piracy. He said that when content is used for comment, criticism, satire, education, news, or a transformative purpose, it should not be considered a crime. Raghav Chadha said, "Innovation cannot flourish, nor can creativity survive, in an environment of fear." The AAP MP also pointed out that India's copyright law was enacted in 1957, when there was no internet, no computers, no YouTube, or Instagram. This law does not clearly define digital creators, and fair dealing is discussed only in the context of books, magazines, and journals.
Raghav Chadha placed three key demands before the House. The Copyright Act should be amended to clearly define digital fair use, including transformative use, satire, criticism, incidental use, limited use, educational use, and non-commercial use related to public interest. A proportionality doctrine should be introduced in copyright enforcement, so that entire content is not removed for a few seconds of use. Mandatory due process should be ensured before any content is removed.