Audio-visual piracy on Telegram: a perspective on monetization models, pirate strategies and industrial pathways

ABSTRACT

Telegram, an encrypted digital messaging application, is an emerging hotbed for digital piracy. It has several features that make it attractive for pirates, including the ability to share large files at scale, coupled with an emphasis on privacy and security that allows for such sharing to be carried out largely anonymously. Telegram gained prominence in academic literature as a safe haven for activities in the digital realm that have increasingly found themselves subject to institutional censure. However, while most studies have delved into the matter of online video piracy on Telegram, perspectives on the economic models and revenues relied on by Telegram pirates in India remain largely unexplored. This paper proposes to discuss Telegram’s ascent as a significant medium in the Audio-Visual piracy market in India and will more specifically analyse the mechanisms of piracy monetization (payment services, and ad-revenue generators) which represent an important stake in pirates’ strategies. Finally, the paper argues that the analysis in terms of economic models represents a valuable contribution to current debates on copyright enforcement. The methodology relies on both primary and secondary sources complemented with semi-structured interviews with pirates and an entertainment industry professional.

KEYWORDS:

• Copyright
• Telegram
• Piracy
• monetization

Acknowledgement

The author would like to thank Tamanna Sharma for her research assistance on this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Meghna Bal

Meghna Bal is a lawyer by training and a technology policy researcher based in India. She is currently a Fellow at the Esya Centre, a tech-policy focussed think-tank.