Delhi HC asks Meta to explain its access policy on copyright management tool

On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court instructed Meta to clarify the conditions for granting users access to its copyright management tool, which enables individuals to safeguard and organize their original content on Facebook and Instagram. The hearing involved a petition filed by content creator Mohit Kumar, who alleged that unauthorized individuals had utilized their access to Meta Rights Tool to claim copyright over his videos.

Kumar contended that he was denied access to the tool, questioning why everyone else had access to it. The court expressed concern over this disparity, likening the situation to providing a key to a robber rather than the rightful owner. The judge remarked, "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."

Kumar applied for access to the tool three times but was consistently rejected without a clear explanation, while others with minimal followers appeared to gain access. He argued that fraudulent copyright strikes could lead to genuine creators' accounts being terminated abruptly, resulting in the loss of years of work, monetization, brand collaborations, and business opportunities.

Meta's legal team stated that the strikes against Kumar were subsequently reversed, and the removed content was reinstated. However, the court still issued a summons and scheduled the matter for September 24 to further investigate the issue.

The Delhi High Court's inquiry stemmed from multiple cases involving content creators and was deemed necessary to address potential loopholes in the system. The same judge is currently assessing whether social media platforms can suspend or delete user accounts solely based on copyright strikes, following a petition by content creator Saurabh Maurya. Maurya's Instagram account was suspended following a copyright strike, which was later found to be erroneous.