Mollywood hails Centre’s crackdown on movie piracy network
The Malayalam film industry (Mollywood) has praised the Indian Centre's recent crackdown on digital movie piracy, which involved blocking 1,263 websites and over 4,900 Telegram channels. This action, initiated under the Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023, followed discussions between actor-MP Suresh Gopi and the Information Technology Minister.
Why it matters
This crackdown signifies a significant government effort to combat intellectual property theft in the film industry, which is crucial for protecting creators' investments and ensuring the industry's economic viability. It sets a precedent for stronger enforcement against digital piracy.
The Centre’s crackdown on websites and Telegram channels allegedly hosting or distributing copyright-infringing content has given a major push to the anti-piracy campaign by the Malayalam film industry.
The action against digital piracy received a shot in the arm after the Union government blocked around 1, 263 websites and over 4, 900 Telegram channels for facilitating copyright-infringing content that included pirated copies of films. The action taken was conveyed by Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to Suresh Gopi, actor and MP in a letter dated July 22, 2026.
Mr. Gopi, who had held several rounds of discussions with the representatives of the South Indian Film Producers’ Association (SIFPA) on the issue, had sought the intervention of the Centre in acting tough against the violators. The latest action was initiated under the provisions of the Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023.
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