Ibomma controversy – Why We Need Legislation on Piracy?

By admin

Published On: October 7, 2025

Table of Contents

Introduction – Why is in News?

Recently Telangana Cyber Crime Police (especially IPS Anand) have launched a major crackdown on online piracy networks especially iBomma.
The message appears to challenge police, urging them to also act against other piracy sites that release first-camera prints. iBomma claims to have data of five million users and threatens to leak their phone numbers. Also it said we have many users who watch pirated content, so we leak information into the public domain and challenge the police department, though this claim remains unverified. Now, the Telangana Cyber Crime Police team has said that they will catch the main head or admin of the website, no matter where he is.
Now, we have some rules and amendments for movie guidelines, but there are no guidelines for OTT apps and other online movie streaming platforms.

What is IBOMMA?

iBomma is a notorious piracy website in India known for uploading pirated versions of newly released films within hours of their theatrical release.
The platform primarily targets Telugu films but also hosts content from other languages.
Its main source of income comes from illegal apps.
It mostly uploads OTT-related movies and web series in high quality, which is illegal.

Why We Need Legislation on Piracy?

Cinematograph Act, 1952 and Issues Related to Piracy

1. Existing Legislation

The Cinematograph Act, 1952 is the only law in India that governs the certification of films for public exhibition.
It applies specifically to films released in Indian theatres.
The Act empowers the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to regulate and certify films before their public release (gives certification like U, UA, A, S, etc.).
It was enacted in 1952, a time when there was no OTT or even internet in some regions. Because of this, there are no guidelines for OTT and other streaming platforms.

2. Limitations of the Current Act

The Act does not include provisions to curb video piracy (because there was no internet at that time).
It has limited age-based certification categories for films.
With the rise of OTT platforms and digital content, the Act has become largely outdated and ineffective in addressing new challenges.

3. Rise of Piracy in India

There has been a global increase in piracy consumption in recent years.
According to a recent report, India ranked 3rd globally in pirated content consumption in 2021.
Piracy causes significant losses to the film industry and undermines intellectual property rights.

4. OTT and New Media Regulation

OTT platforms are not covered under the Cinematograph Act (because of this, so much pirated content is available on websites and apps).
Instead, OTT content is governed by the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
These rules provide a framework for content moderation, grievance redressal, and ethical standards for digital media.

5. Government Efforts to Reform the Law

The government has made multiple attempts to amend the Cinematograph Act to make it relevant to modern challenges.
In 2013, an expert committee under Justice Mukul Mudgal was formed to review and suggest improvements to the law.
Later, in 2016, another committee led by filmmaker Shyam Benegal was constituted to devise new guidelines for film certification under the Act.

Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024

Film Certification in India

Film certification is the final stage in the previewing process of films. It results in one of the following decisions:
- Complete ban on public viewing of the film (if it contains excessive violence or could cause public chaos), or
- Permission with deletions/modifications, or
- Proper categorization based on content and age suitability.
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) regulates the public exhibition of films under the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
The CBFC (also called the Censor Board) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Regional Offices of CBFC

There are 9 regional offices: Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Cuttack, and Guwahati.
The Supreme Court, in S. Rangarajan vs P. Jagjivan Ram (1989), held that:
- Films influence public thought and action more strongly than print media.
- Therefore, filmmakers should produce films with greater care.
- Hence, prior certification (restraint) is both desirable and necessary (because pirated websites directly release deleted scenes without beeps or blurring).

Key Features of Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024

Term of Office
Representation of Women (almost 1/3)
Temporary Absence of Chairperson (central government will appoint a person in their absence)
Advisory Panels
Further Classification of UA Category
Provision for Priority Screening
Change of Category for Television
Perpetual Validity of Certificates

Critique of the Film Industry

The statement criticizes actors’ high remuneration, extravagant foreign shoots, and inflated production budgets.
It argues that the rising cost of filmmaking ultimately burdens the audience through high ticket prices.
The operator claims that the industry should introspect rather than only blaming piracy.

Conclusion

Piracy may reduce if movie ticket rates are kept minimal and affordable, yet some people still consume pirated content because of its easy availability. Since pirated content can be accessed so easily, the government needs to ban such websites. Due to piracy, the film industry is estimated to have suffered a loss of around ₹22,000 crores. Now, let’s see what steps the government will take and what laws it may introduce to impose stricter restrictions.

1. What is iBomma?
It is a pirated website that uploads pirated content, mostly OTT-related content.

2. Why is online piracy a concern for the film industry?
Piracy has caused losses of around ₹23,000 crore, and many people have lost their jobs.

3. Does the Cinematograph Act, 1952 cover OTT platforms?
It is very outdated for OTT apps; because of this loophole, many piracy-related apps and websites exist.

4. What steps has the government taken to regulate film and OTT content?
A new law should be introduced to restrict piracy websites and apps.

5. How can piracy be reduced?
Piracy can be reduced by making movie tickets affordable and banning illegal websites.

6. Where to watch movies legally ?
“There are multiple OTT platforms, such as Amazon Prime and Netflix, where you can take subscription and watch your favorite movies and web series.”