In an effort to combat film piracy, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has granted the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) officials the authority to swiftly remove pirated versions of films from the internet. To facilitate this, a total of 12 nodal officers have been appointed across the country under amendments to the Central Cinematograph Act. Ajay Joy, the CBFC Thiruvananthapuram Regional Officer, serves as the nodal officer for Kerala.
Previously, the removal of pirated film links from the internet relied on court orders. Now, upon the verification of a genuine complaint during an inspection, a directive to remove such links within 48 hours will be issued. However, if a new fake entity emerges, a fresh application will be required.
The introduction of this new system aims to prevent pirated versions of newly released movies from being accessible on digital platforms. Nevertheless, officials clarify that it does not cover OTT films, and the practice of cutting and uploading small portions of films on websites remains outside its scope. The film industry reportedly loses an estimated Rs 20,000 crore annually due to counterfeit prints.
Individuals responsible for propagating fake prints can face legal action under the Copyright Act and the Indian Penal Code. Information and Broadcasting Ministry secretary Apoorva Chandra stated that the amendment was made in this context, introducing penalties such as imprisonment ranging from three months to three years, a fine of three lakh rupees, and an additional fine of 5% of the production cost of the film.
Additionally, the certification process for dubbing regional language films into Hindi can now be completed at the CBFC regional offices. Previously, filmmakers had to submit certificate applications for regional language films like Malayalam and Tamil to the Mumbai office for dubbing into Hindi. This change comes amidst an ongoing investigation into allegations that the CBFC Mumbai office demanded a bribe of Rs 6.5 lakh to certify the Hindi version of ‘Mark Antony,’ a film featuring Tamil actor and producer Vishal.
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