The Delhi High Court has asked Meta to explain why established content creators are being denied access to its rights manager tool while scammers appear able to use the same facility to issue fraudulent copyright strikes against original content. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani directed Meta to place on record its policy and eligibility criteria for granting access to the tool, and to explain the basis on which applications are rejected.
The case
According to a report by Bar and Bench, the suit was filed by Mohit Kumar, an AI, business and e-commerce coach who creates educational content on social media under the handle 'Rise With Mohit'. Kumar alleged that scammers had downloaded his original videos and registered them with Meta's rights manager as their own, then used the tool to issue copyright strikes against his accounts. Rights manager is a free content-protection tool that identifies matching content uploaded on Facebook and Instagram, allowing a person with access to monitor, block or take action against material claimed as their own.
According to the report, Kumar's counsel told the court that he had applied for access to the tool three times but was rejected without clear reason, while accounts with only a few hundred followers appeared to have secured access despite established creators with significant engagement and brand collaborations being denied the same facility.
Court's observations
The bench was direct in its criticism of the current system. "Why doesn't everybody have access to it then?" the court reportedly asked. It further remarked, "It is like giving the key to the robber and not to the owner of the house."
Kumar's counsel argued that fraudulent copyright strikes could cause a genuine creator's account to disappear overnight, wiping out years of work, monetisation, brand collaborations and business opportunities.
Meta's response
Meta informed the court that the fraudulent strikes against Kumar have been reversed and that the content removed as a result has been reinstated. The company stated that Kumar's accounts were never suspended and continued to remain accessible, and that subject to technical verification, his accounts would not be taken down on the basis of the disputed strikes. Meta's counsel said the company would examine Kumar's application for rights manager access after verifying his claims, and agreed to place the relevant policy and eligibility criteria before the court.
What's next
Justice Bhambhani observed that the issue was arising in several cases involving content creators and required closer scrutiny, noting that there were loopholes that needed to be addressed and that the problem was leading to increasing litigation.
