Piracy is at an all time high in the age of OTT releases

Black Widow to Shershaah, this year’s most-awaited films were pirated soon after their digital release. What makes OTT platforms so vulnerable?

- Niharika Lal

Ahead of their digital release in India, BlackWidow and Cruella have both been available on pirated films’ websites here for months, following their international streaming release. Not just Hollywood, even the latest Bollywood flicks like Shershaah, AK vs AK, Mimi, Toofan, Ray, Sardar Ka Grandson, and Roohiwere immediately available on such sites post their digital release in India. Pirated versions of most films released on digital platforms are made available before or on the same day through links on WhatsApp and Telegram groups. In some cases — like Salman Khan-starrer Radhe, which released in May this year — pirates have been daring enough to even announce the sale of the movie on Facebook after its release and three persons were arrested under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act and the Copyright Act in this particular case.

People from the industry find piracy with regard to OTT releases especially worrying, as not only can the films be pirated easily after they release digitally, but also because illegally downloadable versions of the films are just as good in quality as the originals.

‘UNLIKE BEFORE, NOW QUALITY OF PIRATED FILMS AT PAR WITH ORIGINAL’

Yogesh Raizada, an exhibitor, says, “Easy availability of high-quality downloads of latest releases is worrisome. Earlier, pirates would record in cinemas and only poor quality versions were available on pirated films websites. People used to also avoid watching pirated films because of bad quality.”