Delhi High Court Questions Meta Over Rights Manager Access Amid Fake Copyright Strike Claims

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought answers from Meta on why established content creators are being denied access to its Rights Manager tool while scammers allegedly use the same system to issue fraudulent copyright strikes against original creators.

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani directed Meta to place on record its policy and eligibility criteria for granting access to the free content-protection tool, as well as the reasons applications for access are rejected.

“Why doesn’t everybody have access to it then?”

Creator Alleges Scammers Misused Rights Manager

The court was hearing a suit filed by Mohit Kumar, an artificial intelligence, business and e-commerce coach who creates educational content on social media under the handle “Rise With Mohit”.

Kumar alleged that scammers downloaded his original videos, registered them with Meta’s Rights Manager as their own and subsequently used the tool to issue copyright strikes against his accounts.

Rights Manager enables eligible users to identify matching content uploaded on Facebook and Instagram and take measures such as monitoring or blocking the material.

Kumar’s counsel told the court that he had applied for access to the tool three times but was rejected without being given a clear reason. The counsel also claimed that some users with only a few hundred followers had obtained access, while established creators with significant engagement and brand collaborations had not.

“It is like giving the key to the robber and not to the owner of the house,” the court remarked.

Meta Says Fraudulent Strikes Were Reversed

Kumar’s counsel argued that fraudulent copyright strikes could potentially result in genuine creators losing access to their accounts, along with years of content, monetisation opportunities, brand collaborations and business interests.

Meta informed the court that the disputed strikes against Kumar had been reversed and that content removed following those strikes had been restored. The company also said Kumar’s accounts had never been suspended.

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.

Court Flags Wider Concern For Creators

The court directed that content removed because of fraudulent copyright strikes should be restored if Kumar provides sufficient material establishing that the content belongs to him and that the strikes were fraudulent.

Justice Bhambhani observed that similar concerns were arising in several cases involving content creators.

“There are some chinks in the armour, some loopholes that have been noticed. We better sort it out,” the judge said.

The court noted that the issue was contributing to increasing litigation and issued summons in the suit along with notice on Kumar’s interim relief application.

The matter will next be heard on September 24 along with a connected case raising similar concerns.