TOWARDS AN EFFECTIVE REGIME AGAINST ONLINE COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IN INDIA

Abstract

With Internet usage on the rise, it is important for India to establish an effective regulatory regime to combat piracy and mass copyright infringement online. This thesis argues that, in the face of unique legal and cultural challenges specific to India, present laws in the country have failed to do so. Unless and until these challenges are met it will be difficult to have an effective mechanism that deals with online copyright infringement. Countries like the United States, Canada, Ireland, and France have all adopted different regulatory models. However, this thesis argues that each not only have significant limitations on their own, but would also fail to address challenges unique to India’s online copyright context. Through a comparative analysis, this thesis argues for a new regulatory model for policing copyright infringement in India, one that combines features from these models, addresses unique Indian challenges, and achieves a fairer balance between the interests of copyright holders and Internet-based copyright users.