The Delhi High Court on September 29 described Instagram's Remix feature as a "tool for copyright violation," raising questions about the legality of reusing videos on the platform. The court made these remarks during a hearing of a suit filed by Vikas Divyakirti, founder of Drishti IAS, against Meta Platforms and others over fake profiles, deepfakes, and edited clips of his lectures, according to medianama.com.
Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani explained that Remix allows users to post their own video alongside another person's public reel, feed video, or photo, effectively enabling them to take an entire video and add their own content to it. The judge questioned Meta's legal position on permitting such manipulation, calling it "proof of copyright violation" and a "mischievous feature." The court postponed a decision on some edited clips, noting that some might qualify as criticism under the Copyright Act.
The case highlights the ongoing legal debate over when reusing someone else's video content crosses the line from permissible commentary or criticism into copyright infringement. Instagram Remix's functionality, which encourages users to respond to or recreate videos, complicates enforcement of copyright laws. The ruling could have wider implications for social media platforms that offer similar remix or duet features, as courts balance user creativity with intellectual property rights.
The Delhi High Court's comments came during the hearing of Vikas Divyakirti's suit against Meta, which remains pending. The court's scrutiny of Instagram Remix marks a significant moment in India's evolving copyright jurisprudence concerning digital content reuse, as noted by medianama.com.