Technology, Media and Telecom

On December 21, 2023, the Lok Sabha passed the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023 ("PRP Bill"), revoking the colonial-era legislation of the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867 ("PRB Act"). The PRB Act was designed to regulate the printing presses and newspapers and imposed strict penalties, including imprisonment, for non-compliance with its provisions. ......

'Dark Patterns' are deceptive online interface designs that are used to trick people into making decisions that are in the interests of the online business, but often at the expense of the user. Dark patterns are carefully crafted and can range from subtle omissions to outright lies, but what they all have in common is that they undermine users' intentions. ......

On November 10, 2023, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (“MIB”) released the draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023 (the “Bill”) seeking comments from the general public and/or any stakeholders. The Bill aims at consolidating the present regulatory guidelines that apply to the broadcasting industry in India under one legal framework and replace the long-standing Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995. ......

An order passed by the Delhi High Court in Anil Kapoor vs Simply Life and Others CS (COMM) 652/2023 granted interim relief to Mr. Anil Kapoor for protection of his name, likeness, voice, persona, manner of speaking, dialogue delivery, and other attributes of his personality against unauthorized commercial use. ......

In a recent judgement, M/S Iveco Magirus Brandschutztechnik Gmbh vs. Nirmal Kishore Bhartiya & Anr. , the Supreme Court held that nothing prevents the Magistrate from dismissing a defamation complaint by applying the exceptions under section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 ("IPC") even before summoning the accused. ... ...

The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 ("BNSS") bill which aims to replace the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 ("CrPC"), was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 11, 2023 along with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023. The bills have been introduced with the intent of freeing India from the shadow of colonisation, however a plain reading of the BNSS bill reveals that it has retained a majority of the provisions of the soon to be erstwhile CrPC. ......

Among the three bills presented in the Lok Sabha namely, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 (hereinreferred to as the "BSB") emerged as a significant legislative proposal aimed at replacing the antiquated Indian Evidence Act of 1872 (hereinafter referred to as the "Evidence Act"). The BSB introduces a notable alteration in the admissibility of electronic evidence within the judicial system by encompassing "electronic and digital records" under the definition of "Document". ......

Financial influencers, commonly called 'finfluencers', are persons who provide information and/or advice on various financial topics such as investing in securities, personal finance, banking products, insurance, real estate investment, etc. through social/digital media platforms/channels, and have the ability to influence the financial decisions of their followers. ......

On August 10, 2023, the National Company Law Tribunal, Mumbai ("NCLT") greenlit the merger of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited ("Zee") with Culver Max Entertainment Private Limited (formerly Sony Pictures Networks India) ("Sony") (hereinafter referred to as the "Zee-Sony Merger"). Following the merger, the resulting entity will be the second largest entertainment network after Disney Star. ......