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| - Fact Check: Is it illegal to circulate PDFs of e-paper?
A recent report by "Dainik Bhaskar", which says it is illegal to forward e-paper PDFs in WhatsApp groups and action can be taken against the group administrator in case of non-compliance, has come as a surprise to netizens.
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India Today Fact Check
PDFs of free e-papers can be shared, but downloading and copying paid e-papers and circulating them on Telegram and WhatsApp is illegal.
With distribution of newspapers affected due to the lockdown, e-paper is an easy way for concerned citizens to stay abreast of the latest developments. Also on the rise is WhatsApp forwards of e-paper PDFs.
However, a recent report by "Dainik Bhaskar", which says it is illegal to forward e-paper PDFs in WhatsApp groups and action can be taken against the group administrator in case of non-compliance, has come as a surprise to netizens.
Amid this, another report by the "Free Press Journal" titled, "There is no ban on sharing The Free Press Journal's e-paper's PDF on WhatsApp, Telegram or any social media", has created confusion.
Such contradictory reports have led to debates to social media.
"It is illegal to broadcast PDF copy of newspaper in whatsapp groups, action can be taken on group admin".
This news reportedly appeared in Dainik Bhaskar has created quite a discussion and uproar in various whatsapp groups today. 1/n https://t.co/1s3IZ1apS5 pic.twitter.com/s0je0BVwLB— Tinu Cherian Abraham (@tinucherian) May 2, 2020
India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that circulating e-paper PDFs given by the newspaper organisation free of cost is not illegal, but downloading and then copying the e-paper or a portion of it in PDFs and circulating it on Telegram and WhatsApp is illegal.
Netizens, however, are sharing widely that it is illegal to share e-paper PDFs on WhatsApp.
What does the Indian Newspaper Society say?
According to the Indian Newspaper Society (INS), the central organisation of the Indian Press, PDF copies of e-papers circulating on social media is an area of concern.
The concern is regarding PDFs created by copying from e-papers and pushed on social media to help the aggregators. This is affecting business, particularly if the e-paper is a paid service, says INS president Shailesh Gupta.
"It is okay to forward PDF files which are free, but it is not okay to copy a PDF from a paid e-paper service and forward it. Basically, it is being targeted for aggregators who are trying to increase their traffic because of other newspapers; it is piracy," Gupta said.
As per Gupta, instant messaging app Telegram is one such aggregator, which is under the scanner. Action can be taken under the copyright law.
Digital piracy and e-paper downloading are longstanding concerns of several big media houses in India. DD Purkayastha, managing director and CEO of Anandabazar Patrika group, told AFWA, "Several websites, particularly in Bangladesh, copy the content of our e-papers and publish it on their websites. This is hampering us as a brand."
Risks and legal options
This malpractice of copying news content from e-papers as PDFs and circulating them on social media also has a risk of spreading misinformation in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. "PDFs can be edited and the content can be twisted. We cannot let it happen as we always want to give honest news to the readers," says Gupta of INS.
But what action will INS take against people encouraging this piracy?
Bahubali S Shah of Gujarati daily "Gujarat Samachar", another active member of INS, says, "Due to lockdown, people are facing problems in accessing newspapers. This is why we are not taking any immediate action and letting people read more e-papers. But we will sit and discuss legal options on how to stop such malpractices affecting the industry."
Therefore, the answer as to whether forwarding PDFs of e-papers is illegal is now clear. If a media house gives free PDFs of e-paper, then circulating them is not illegal. But if someone makes a copy of the e-paper or a portion of it in PDFs, and circulates it on Telegram and WhatsApp, then it will be considered illegal.
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