Tollywood gets SOP to check digital film piracy

Tollywood, plagued with piracy has now got Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for investigation of Anti-Piracy cases. The SOP is designed to strengthen enforcement against digital film piracy and establish a structured framework for investigation, digital evidence collection, and coordinated action against piracy networks.

The SOP was formally launched by Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) on Monday. The TGCSB in collaboration with the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) had set up an Anti Piracy Unit at the TGCSB in January in its bid to curb the piracy of movies.

Anti Piracy Unit of TGCSB has also launched a new Anti-Piracy Disclaimer to be displayed before movie screenings across theatres, aimed at creating awareness among audiences about the legal consequences of film piracy and cam-cording inside cinema halls.

TGSCB director Shikha Goel, and TFCC president, Daggubati Suresh Babu, during a stakeholder consultation meeting held to strengthen cooperation between law enforcement agencies and the film ecosystem in addressing the growing challenge of digital piracy, launched the two initiatives.

During the consultation, stakeholders deliberated on the scale and impact of piracy on the film industry. Industry estimates indicate that the Telugu film industry incurs losses of nearly Rs 13,7OO crore annually, while the Indian film industry loses over Rs 22,4OO crores due to piracy. investigations have 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 cam-cording 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 FlRs under the 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 for blocking infringing URLs under applicable lT Rules.

The 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. The disclaimer warns audiences that film piracy and unauthorized recording of films is a punishable offence, carrying imprisonment of up to three years and/or a fine of up to Rs 3 lakhs, or 5 per cent of the production cost of the film, and aims to act as a strong deterrent against illegal recording and distribution of films.

The consultation also emphasized preventive measures across the film distribution chain, including secure handling and transmission of film content, restricted access through authorised authentication systems, vigilance by exhibitors to prevent cam-cording inside cinema halls, retention of CCTV recordings for at least one month after release, and implementation of theatre-specific forensic watermarking to help trace the source of pirated copies.

Shikha Goel said that piracy has evolved into a highly organised cybercrime ecosystem and requires a coordinated response from both law enforcement and industry stakeholders. She emphasized that the new SOP will enable faster and more structured investigations, while the anti-piracy disclaimer will help strengthen public awareness and deterrence against illegal recording and distribution of films. Suresh Babu, highlighted the severe economic impact piracy has on the film ecosystem and stressed the importance of collective responsibility among all stakeholders involved in film production, distribution, and exhibition. TFCC chairman Anti Video Piracy Cell, Chairman, Rajkumar Akella, emphasized the importance of strong coordination between the film industry and law enforcement agencies to effectively tackle piracy networks and noted that the SOP will help improve response time, investigation processes, and evidence collection in piracy cases.