HYDERABAD: The Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) on Monday launched a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the investigation of anti-piracy cases to strengthen enforcement against digital film piracy and establish a structured framework for investigation, digital evidence collection and coordinated action against piracy networks.
The initiative was formally launched by TGCSB director Shikha Goel and TFCC president Daggubati Suresh Babu during a stakeholder consultation meeting aimed at strengthening cooperation between law enforcement agencies and the film ecosystem to address the growing challenge of digital piracy.
During the consultation, stakeholders discussed the scale and impact of piracy on the film industry. Industry estimates indicate that the Telugu film industry incurs losses of nearly 3,700 crore annually, while the Indian film industry loses over 22,400 crore due to piracy.
Investigations revealed that piracy generally originates from two primary sources — leakage of HD-quality film content before release at the post-production or digital service provider level, and camcording inside theatres during film screenings, which accounts for the majority of piracy incidents.
The newly launched SOP provides a comprehensive investigative framework outlining procedures for registration of FIRs under relevant provisions of the Copyright Act, Cinematograph Act and Information Technology Act, forensic examination of pirated content, identification of source theatres through watermarking and server data analysis, coordination with digital service providers and industry stakeholders, preservation of electronic evidence, and action to block infringing URLs under applicable IT Rules.
An anti-piracy disclaimer launched during the meeting will be displayed before movie screenings across theatres and incorporated into screening packages by digital service providers and exhibitors.