Twitter explains: Why were Ravi Shankar Prasad and Shashi Tharoor locked out?
For Tharoor, the DMCA notice was in reference to the alleged infringement of the original work of Boney M's 'Rasputin'. For Prasad, the DMCA notice was in reference to the alleged infringement of the original work of AR Rahman's: 'Maa Tujhe Salaam...'
 )
FollowCongress MP Shashi Tharoor and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad were restricted access to their Twitter accounts last month because video Tweets posted on their accounts infringed copyrighted works owned by Sony Music Entertainment.
Twitter, in response to queries from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology on the lockout, has clarified that the platform had received DMCA notices from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
Twitter informed that as per its copyright policy, the platform responds to copyright complaints submitted under US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
Section 512 of the DMCA outlines statutory requirements needed for reporting copyright infringement formally and provides guidelines on how an affected party can appeal a removal by submitting a compliant counter-notice, the micro-blogging site said.
For Tharoor, the DMCA notice was in reference to the alleged infringement of the original work of Boney M's 'Rasputin'. For Prasad, the DMCA notice was in reference to the alleged infringement of the original work of AR Rahman's: 'Maa Tujhe Salaam...'
Twitter said that it complied with its copyright policy after it received the notices. It disabled access to the allegedly infringing videos and temporarily locked the accounts.
Stating that it sent a copy of the DMCA notices to the account holders by email, Twitter said that the accounts were immediately unlocked after the account holders acknowledged their understanding of the platform's copyright policy.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had last month lashed out at Twitter for locking him out of his profile and for Twitter's double standards.
A day ago, while speaking at the India Global Forum, Prasad said that if Twitter could invoke the digital copyright act of the United States, it will also have to be cognisant of the copyright rules of India.
"A solution has to be found for a happy blending of the role of big tech and democracy. You cannot say that your whole stand will be regulated by an ex-parte assessment of the US law," he had said.
subscribe to Asianet Newsable WhatsApp channel by clicking here.For more reliable and latest news
subscribe to Asianet Newsable Telegram channel by clicking here.
