How copyright laws impact the media industry

New Delhi: LES APAC Conference 2018, a panel session to cover aspects related to copyrights for media and entertainment industry and impact of 2012 amendments on licensing scenarios was organsied in New Delhi here on Tuesday.

The session was organised to discuss and determine the aspects related to copyrights for media and entertainment industry and impact of 2012 amendments on licensing scenarios that drives the licensing terms – the creator or commerce.

Mr. Sanjay Mehra, Head of Multimedia and Partnerships, Asian News International (ANI) was the esteemed moderator of the LES APAC Conference 2018 with Dominic D’souza, VP – Legal, Hinduja Ventures, Lakshika Joshi, Global IP Head and Legal Leadership, Aricent Inc., Monica Datta, Partner, Saikrishna & Associates, Raghavender GR, Joint Secretary, Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India in attendance.

The panel theme revolved around licensing post 2012 amendments, driving factors and future of the media and entertainment industry in wake of newer formats and platforms available.

Besides legal, it focused on business and commercial aspects of copyright licensing, the ever-evolving technology and its direct impact on changing entertainment formats, consumption patterns.

Mr. Sanjay Mehra, who heads the multimedia business and partnerships for ANI Media Pvt. Ltd. said, “Ever since this digital age has dawn, it has become next to impossible to monitor where your content is being used. Like if I write a text article and put up on my website I don’t know who is picking it up. The importance of the copyright protection is that an artist or creator should feel free to create and make sure that is not prejudiced or picked up.”
“In a broad sense what I am interested in culling out of this entire conference is having broken down the legal jargon in layman’s terms what it means for creator, users, and how the current law is framed to protect rights of all parties concerned. It is important to understand where India stands in terms of the law,” added Mr. Mehra.

Other panelists included Dominic D Souza, VP – Legal, Hinduja Ventures who is presently heading the legal department for their new venture in HITS – Nxt Digital, Raghavender G.R., Joint Secretary, Department of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice, Government of India and Raghavender, who is a civil servant from Central Secretariat Service (CSS) 1988, Ms. Monica Datta, Partner, Saikrishna & Associates, who leads the IP Transaction Practice and Lakshika Joshi, a legal professional.

This panel session covered aspects related to copyrights for media and entertainment industry and impact of 2012 amendments on licensing scenarios, who drives the licensing terms – the creator or commerce, will we see an open source equivalent movement in the content industry?

It also witnessed discussions over death of cable television or rise in the new era of digital rising, has the industry learnt any lessons from telecom downturn amongst others.

[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]