MIB extends deadline for public comments on Anti-Piracy framework as industry pushes for stronger enforcement

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has extended the deadline for public and industry comments on its proposed framework to curb piracy and strengthen copyright enforcement in India. The Ministry issued a fresh public notice on November 26, granting an additional two weeks for stakeholders to submit their inputs via email, following its earlier announcement on November 7 that initiated consultations for a nationwide anti-piracy strategy.

MIB calls for Anti-Piracy consultation; stakeholders seek wider task force, real-time action

The extension comes amid increasing feedback from key media and entertainment industry participants who say India needs a more comprehensive and enforceable anti-piracy ecosystem. The Ministry’s ongoing review seeks to examine existing monitoring and enforcement mechanisms across digital platforms and develop a coordinated strategy to combat illegal circulation of films, TV broadcasts, and OTT content.

The consultation process aims to address long-standing gaps in identifying, reporting, and taking down infringing content across rapidly evolving media channels.

The MIB has invited detailed submissions on four thematic areas:

- Challenges in tracing and removing pirated material,

- Technological and procedural gaps in enforcement,

- International best practices suitable for India, and

- Models to improve collaboration between government bodies, digital platforms, and rights holders.

The initiative is aligned with the government’s larger push to safeguard intellectual property, enhance monetization for content creators, and build a more transparent digital entertainment ecosystem. Industry executives believe the exercise could be a turning point in building a unified national anti-piracy roadmap integrating legal, policy, and technology-led solutions.

Industry Seeks Broader Mandate Beyond Digital Piracy

Media companies, broadcasters, and distribution platforms have welcomed the Ministry’s move but have also urged expansion of the anti-piracy mandate beyond digital platforms to include satellite and cable networks. Storyboard18 earlier reported how the stakeholders highlighted increasing instances of cross-border piracy operations involving smuggling of Indian DTH set-top boxes (STBs) to neighbouring countries and the Middle East, where they are used for unauthorised access to premium Indian channels.

Broadcasters urge MIB to expand Anti-Piracy Task Force amid surge in smuggled DTH boxes

Currently, the MIB’s anti-piracy steering committee primarily coordinates with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to curb online piracy and illegal streaming sites. However, industry bodies argue that the framework needs to account for hybrid piracy models that span OTT, satellite feeds, cable networks, and illegal sports streaming, especially as piracy networks rapidly adopt advanced technology and operate across borders.

Stakeholders have also raised concerns about the lack of a specialised enforcement unit empowered to act swiftly, operational challenges in targeting overseas CDNs and domain hosts, and absence of systems to track financial transactions supporting illegal streaming syndicates.