Introduction: – Piracy has differed in meaning over the course of time, and the perspective and opinion on piracy changes with the generation it is referenced in. However, what remains uniform is the fact that piracy was, is, and probably will remain an unlawful act, regardless of the context in which it is interpreted.What is piracy on the internet?

Piracy, act of illegally reproducing or disseminating copyrighted material, such as computer programs, books, music, and films. Although any form of copyright infringement can and has been referred to as piracy, this article focuses on using computers to make digital copies of works for distribution over the Internet.

Common Internet piracy techniques are: -Websites that make software available for free download or in exchange for others. Internet auction sites that offer counterfeit or out-of-channel software. Peer-to-peer networks that enable unauthorized transfer of copyrighted programs.Example: -Making unlawful copies of copyrighted music, games, software, electronic books, and movies, as well as streaming that content without authorization, are all examples of piracy.

The unauthorized use of another’s production, invention, or conception especially in infringement of copyright. Downloading any protected content from torrents, be it a simple video, song or a movie, amounts to copyright violation of the owner.In order to protect the interests of creators and distributors, the government had to take strict measures. The Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012 has amended piracy laws in India. One of its main objectives was to curb digital piracy. Section 65(A) and Section 65(B) was inserted in the act.Section 65(A) was provided for the Protection of Technological Measures. It states that any person who circumvents an effective technological measure applied for the purpose of protecting any of the rights conferred by this Act, with the intention of infringing such rights, shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to two years and shall also be liable to fine.Section 65(B) was provided for the Protection of Rights Management Information.

It states that any person, who knowingly- (1) removes or alters any rights management information without authority, or (2) distributes, imports for distribution, broadcasts or communicates to the public, without authority, copies of any work, or performance knowing that electronic rights management information has been removed or altered without authority, shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to two years and shall also be liable to fine.Is it a crime? It is a crime, And the legal term for this crime is Online Piracy. Online Piracy in simple words is to illegally copy or distribute software using the internet. Some torrent software allows you to do so.What type of crime is piracy?Piracy is one of the most common types of cyber crimes. Cyber crimes can include just about any crime or criminal activity that takes place online.

This type of cyber crime deals with theft of certain types of intellectual property.Is piracy legal in India?The Indian Laws rule piracy as Illegal but that has not affected the rise in number of these sites. These sites even allow users to have access to HD quality contents online and shamelessly leak content right after their releases and sometimes even before.

Nature of piracy: –

Keep in mind that most piracy cases are civil and not criminal. Yet when someone attempts to distribute or sell copyrighted material, they will very likely face criminal felony charges. It is important to remember that the statute of limitations for civil charges is only three years. Under the piracy law, the person can be convicted for a jail term and also a fine between Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakhs, depending upon the seriousness of the offence.Piracy is a criminal act and the Government of India has finalised some punishment for the same. As per the Cinematograph Act of 2019, if any individual is found recording a film without the written consent of the producers, he or she can face a jail term of up to 3 years and slapped with a fine of Rs 10 lakhs.Foreign laws such as America’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act, 1998 do not bind people living in India, and no criminal action can be taken against you in India under these laws if you are downloading copyrighted movies in India.

Conclusion:- The menace of piracy, despite having faced many obstacles to try and curb it, is still going strong as a practice and has a farther reach than ever. More devices are optimised to use pirated content, and in hydra-like fashion, for every site taken down, two more take its place. This isn’t to say that piracy is immortal. More governments are becoming more vigilant in regard to how big threat to piracy is. The current situation is very volatile, as there is no way to tell if piracy will grow weaker with the increasing crackdowns on it, or will remain omnipotent. As a producer, one can only enforce the methods available to them. They can’t stop it, but the most they can do is try to reduce the harm done to them as much as possible.

Reference: –

https://www.nortonlifelock.com/in/en/legal/anti-piracy/types-piracy/https://blog.ipleaders.in/piracy-laws-india/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_piracy#:~:text=Online%20piracy%20is%20the%20practice,such%20as%20music%20or%20software.

https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/movie-piracy-much-dangerous-think-102710365.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=ma&guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9ibG9nLmlwbGVhZGVycy5pbi8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAIT8vaS7i_BBbLNDYzAoyFEPi_va5n75uHolCTBDcBkVBcAIChwpSlaiaU4V8fpSIhO1pgwamsc_XtoJISP47-t-9A9J-pCpwAbozEdqPXE09I8TXbP3SpF_-1-zLDj2-bKmYz4poehHRzZ8WAukSYF6sp2pQFtTh-fMPepT2NfY

https://www.britannica.com/topic/piracy-international-law

Online Piracy in India