Govt Opens Doordarshan, AIR & PIB Content for Free Use Amid ANI Copyright Row
After tensions exploded between the news agency ANI and creators on YouTube over copyright issues, India’s public broadcasters and government media are making their archives available to the public for free or for a low price. The effort aims to empower independent media and digital creators, enabling them to access content on platforms like YouTube and Instagram.
Agencies such as Prasar Bharati, Akashvani (All India Radio), Doordarshan National and the Press Information Bureau (PIB) have stated that their audio visual and written products are copyright cleared and are available free of cost. This comes after the Press Trust of India (PTI) took a similar move to provide affordable video access to online creators earlier this year.
Akashvani in a recent post on X stated that its content including shorts, documentaries and explainers can be accessed in 15 languages across 50 categories, for free. Prasar Bharati also mentioned the availability of historical clips, rare footage and facts cleared for reuse by media experts and independent voices.
Doordarshan National emphasized this point by suggesting that creators access material from their platform, PBShabd, which they describe as an accessible, reliable and 24/7 source of news clips, audio and written stories that are all copyright free and creator friendly.
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This development comes after creators like Mohak Mangal and Rajat Pawar claimed ANI used the copyright system on YouTube, which would result in high licensing fees, or request strikes. The dispute blew up to the Delhi High Court and the court recently ordered Mangal to remove allegedly defamatory content related to ANI.
By contrast, the government media is now proposing to themselves a transparent alternative.
