Delhi HC Seeks Clarity From Meta On Access To Copyright Protection Tool

The Delhi High Court directed Meta to clarify the guidelines for granting access to the platform's copyright management utility on Facebook and Instagram. 

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani issued the directive during a hearing for content creator Mohit Kumar. The creator approached the court after unauthorised individuals downloaded his videos and used the Meta Rights Tool to claim ownership of his original work. Kumar said he could not claim copyright over the videos himself because Meta had not granted him access to the tool, as Hindustan Times reported.

Justice Bhambhani criticised the platform's restrictive policy.

"Why does everybody not have access to it then? It is like giving the key to the robber and not to the owner of the house." Justice Bhambhani said.

Arbitrary Access Denials

Petitioner Mohit Kumar operates as an Indian e-commerce and artificial intelligence business coach under the handle 'Rise with Mohit'. He said his applications to use the rights tool were rejected three times without clear reasons, whereas individuals with only a few hundred followers appeared to have secured access.

Fraudulent users exploited the Meta Rights Tool to claim copyright over Kumar's original videos. The petitioner argued that these fake strikes could result in a genuine creator's account being taken down overnight, wiping out years of work, monetisation, brand collaborations and business opportunities.

Meta's counsel informed the bench that the false copyright strikes targeting Kumar were completely reversed. The company confirmed that his removed content was successfully reinstated.

Systemic Loopholes Under Review

The court officially issued summons to Meta and scheduled the next hearing for September 24. The bench stated that similar issues currently impact numerous digital creators, warranting closer scrutiny.

"There are some chinks in the armour, some loopholes have been noticed. We better sort it out." Justice Bhambhani said.

The court is also examining a separate petition by Saurabh Maurya on September 24. Maurya's Instagram account was suspended following a copyright strike that was subsequently found to be false. That specific hearing will address whether social media platforms hold the authority to ban user profiles based exclusively on copyright infringement claims.