The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought clarity from Meta on how creators are selected for access to its Rights Manager tool, after a content creator alleged that others had misused the platform's copyright system to claim ownership of his work. The court's intervention came during the hearing of a petition filed by Mohit Kumar, who creates educational content for social media under the name "Rise with Mohit". Kumar claimed that his videos had been copied and subsequently subjected to copyright claims by users who had access to Meta's Rights Manager, while he himself had repeatedly been denied access to the same facility.

Court Seeks Details On Meta's Eligibility Rules

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani questioned why access to the copyright management system was not available to every creator seeking to protect their original material. "Why does everybody not have access to it then? It is like giving the key to the robber and not to the owner of the house," Bhambhani said, as per reports.

The judge's observation came as the court examined Kumar's contention that the system could leave genuine creators vulnerable if they are unable to directly protect their own content while other users can initiate copyright claims against them.

Kumar told the court that he had sought access to Rights Manager three times but was rejected without being provided a clear reason. He also claimed that accounts with relatively small followings had obtained access, while his applications had been unsuccessful despite his established presence and engagement on social media.

Creator Raises Concern Over False Copyright Claims

According to Kumar, the alleged misuse of copyright complaints poses a serious risk to creators whose livelihoods depend on their online presence.

He argued that an improper copyright strike can have consequences extending beyond the removal of an individual video. A legitimate creator could potentially lose access to years of content, monetisation opportunities, commercial partnerships and business prospects if repeated claims result in account action.

Meta's Rights Manager is designed to help rights holders identify matching material across Facebook and Instagram. Users granted access can take various actions against content that matches material registered with the system, including monitoring or blocking it and pursuing other enforcement measures.

Kumar's grievance centres on the alleged imbalance between access given to users making copyright claims and the ability of original creators to defend their work.

Meta Says Disputed Strikes Have Been Reversed

Meta's counsel told the High Court that the copyright strikes disputed by Kumar had already been reversed. Content that had been removed following those claims was also restored, the company's lawyer said.

The court was further informed that Kumar's accounts had never been suspended and remained operational throughout the dispute.

Meta also assured the court that, subject to technical verification, the creator's accounts would not be removed on the basis of the disputed copyright strikes.

The company agreed to place its relevant policies and eligibility requirements for Rights Manager before the court, while also indicating that it would reconsider Kumar's application after verifying the claims made in his petition.

Delhi HC Issues Summons, Next Hearing On September 24

Despite the steps outlined by Meta, the High Court proceeded with Kumar's suit and issued summons in the matter.

The court has directed Meta to provide information concerning the criteria governing access to the Rights Manager facility. The disclosure could shed light on how the platform determines which creators and rights holders qualify for the copyright protection tool.

The matter has been listed for further hearing on September 24, when the court is expected to consider Meta's response and the material placed before it.