When we see the gross output of India’s television and OTT platforms, it marks to the whopping INR 349 thousand crores. The media growth is at a much faster pace than the GDP of the country. However, India has also seen improvement in the WIPO Global Innovation rankings, that is 46th ranking from 54th ranking. When we see our creative and entertainment industries, it not only entertains people but also creates immense media jobs and other opportunities.
Creative First has launched a campaign ‘Your IP Your Future’ to spread awareness about the importance of copyright as intellectual property in the media and entertainment industry. The nationwide campaign by Creative First has been launched in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and the Producers Guild of India and the knowledge partners are International Legal Alliance (ILA) and IPTSE Academy. The Indian film, television, and online video services industries contribute a gross output of Rs 3,49,000 crores and it employs over 2.6 million people. The media and entertainment sector grew at a higher rate than the economy (7.8%) in 2019. India has consistently improved its ranking on the WIPO Global Innovation Index (46th in 2021 from 52nd in 2019).
Creative industries not only entertain and create employment opportunities but also help promote India’s creative and cultural industries across the world. The creative sector has the potential to build innovative and new experiences and reflect India’s soft power. Therefore, creating intellectual property awareness among the youth of the country becomes imperative. The campaign ‘Your IP Your Future’ targets independent creatives, content producers, independent studios, and media and entertainment enthusiasts to help them understand the business of media and entertainment and protect their Intellectual Property Rights (IP rights). The campaign features resource materials and conversations with industry and legal experts such as Siddharth Roy Kapur, founder and managing director of Roy Kapur Films, Vivek Krishnani, managing director of Sony Pictures Films India, Anjum Rajabal, veteran screenwriter, Shibasish Sarkar, group CEO of Reliance Entertainment, Jamshed Mistry, founder of the International Legal Alliance – a virtual global network of lawyers.
Tara Deshpande, actor and author, and National Award-winning actress Divya Dutta among others. Mr. Arun Chawla, Director General, FICCI said, “Across the world, and in India in particular, small, and medium businesses are thriving and driving innovation. But creativity needs to be protected which is where ‘Your IP Your Future’ comes in”. “Intellectual property law is crucial for the media and entertainment industry. It plays an important role in copyright and trademarking the thinking and writing of the creative society. In today’s digital age, the communication of online content has increased due to which piracy and copyright disputes are rising. There is a need to control its misuse and secure the work of writers and artists.” Mr. NitinTej Ahuja, CEO, Producers Guild of India, said, “The legal sanctity of IP – and more particularly, copyright in the case of content producers is the very foundation on which our business is built. A thorough and updated understanding of the ever-evolving nuances of the various facets of IP is therefore critical to anyone involved or aspiring to be involved, in the entertainment business. Your IP Your Future is a very valuable and comprehensive resource towards that end.” Mr. Jamshed Mistry, Founder, International Legal Alliance (ILA), said, “Quite often than not a creative person’s only asset is his IPR!! It is in the best interest of all concerned in the industry to educate them on IPR!! Creative First is the perfect platform to create this awareness!! -Unsuited.” Mr. Sourabh Sachdeva, Director, IPTSE Academy, said, “India has emerged as the third-largest start-up ecosystem in the world, after the US and China. But without strong IPR protection, creators won’t be able to reap the rewards of their hard work.”