Primer: YouTubers vs Ani: Fair use in the spotlight

Copyright © HT Digital Streams Limit all rights reserved. Soumya Gupta 2 min read 30 May 2025, 05:30 am IT No Creator has moved a court of law against ANI and its alleged extortion. (Pixabay) Summary creators such as Mohak Mangal, who make long videos that set out news and current affairs, often use short cuts of news providers such as Ani in their content. They say now Ani reported such videos for copyright offenses. Prominent content creators accused Ani news agency of using YouTube’s three-headed strike policy to force them to buy subscriptions to their video services. What exactly is the problem, and what do the two parties say? Coin explained. What is the accusation against ANI? Creators like Mohak Mangal, who make long videos that explain news and topical issues, often use short cuts of news providers such as Ani in their content. They say now Ani reported such videos for copyright offenses. According to YouTube’s policy, any channel that receives three copyright strikes runs the risk of removing from the platform. Mangal claims that representatives of ANI use the threat of copyright strikes against his channel to force him to buy an ani-subscription-with £ 10-40 lakh per year. He used a nine-second cut of ani-footage for a video on Operation Sindoor. What exactly is the problem here? Ani says it is simply enforcing its copyright and protecting his intellectual property. But Mangal and other creators claim that these tactics – to threaten their channels with copyright strikes and then offer annual subscriptions worth dozens of rupees – practical ‘extortion’. They argue that the use of a few seconds of a cut, even if it is copyrighted, is legal under exceptions to the copyright laws of India. This is because they say, their YouTube videos are meant to give reporting, general knowledge and criticism to the public, which are all alleged to be part of fair intercourse in matters of intellectual ownership. At what stage is the legal battle? No Creator has moved a court of law against ANI and its alleged extortion. In his video on the issue, Mohak Mangal said he wrote an appeal to Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Information and Broadcasting. He also encouraged other creators to face Ani’s copyright strikes to issue the minister with details on the actions of Ani. The video has nearly 6 million views. So does Ani have a case? They may. But earlier this month, in response to a report from the reporters’ collective, the news agency said it was “investing a lot in original news meeting” and the right to defend itself against copyright theft. The news organization also said that the enforcement of claims via YouTube’s copyright task policy was not extortion. Ani has sued Mangal for slander in the Delhi High Court, along with Creator Kunal Kamra and the fact control Mohammed Zubair for the part of his video on Ani. What does the Indian law say about this? The definition of fair use in India is quite narrow and does not capture the nuances of the creation of online content completely. Fair use clauses cover research and criticism, but may not protect smooth YouTube videos supported by advertising and brand integration. Creators argue that the use of an 8-10 second cut is protected under fair use, but legal experts believe that copyright violation not only depends on quantitative use (the length of a cut), but also qualitative use-for example, if the cut is crucial to the content, such as the hook line of a song. Catch all the technological news and updates on live currency. Download the Mint News app to get daily market updates and live business news. More Topics #youtube -Video’s Read Next Story