Disney-Star Files FIR Against Various Digital Platforms For Indulging In Piracy

Media giant Disney-Star has filed a first information report (FIR) with the Bengaluru cyber police against various digital platforms for piracy. 

The media company has filed the FIR against TamilMV, TamilBlasters, Tamilrockers, and PikaShow TV app for leaked television (TV), over-the-top (OTT), and film content on their platforms, according to media reports.

These platforms, which usually offer Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam content, have a cumulative traffic of nearly 62 Mn. However, they have started offering pirated content in other languages including Hindi as well lately, the FIR alleged.

Disney-Star has registered the case under the relevant sections of the IT Act 2008, IPC and the Copyright Act.

TamilMV, TamilBlasters, and Tamilrockers used to offer pirated movies within 24 hours of theatrical release which could be a big setback for producers. PikaShow used offshore servers and cyberlockers to aggregate content of leading broadcasters and OTTs. In addition, the content on PikaShow can be watched in both offline and online mode.

As per reports, the FIR alleged that many of Disney+Hotstar’s original shows were being streamed illegally by these apps. Moreover, PikaShow also streamed content from the linear TV channels such as Star Plus, Star Gold, Star World and Star Sports.

According to a Star India spokesperson, a new form of piracy is emerging through Android apps which is difficult to track, Business Standard reported. Recently, the Maharashtra cybercrime unit took down another such app, called ThopTV.

“Enforcement agencies in various states have been serious in tackling this menace, which is causing huge loss to the Indian creative economy,” the spokesperson said.

The threats from piracy and illegal content have been hindering the growth of the entertainment industry, especially streaming services. Annual global revenue losses from digital piracy range between $40 Bn and $97.1 Bn in the movie industry, according to a report from Dataport.

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