US EditionYouTubers Complain After Newswire Agency Demands Licence Fee
- Several prominent Indian YouTubers including Rajat Pawar faced copyright strikes and license fee demands from Asian News International in May 2025 over brief clips used in their videos.
- The controversy arose because ANI allegedly exploited YouTube's copyright strike system to demand large sums, sometimes up to Rs 48 lakh plus GST, for clips under 10 seconds despite fair use protections.
- Affected creators accused ANI of pressuring them with threats to shut down channels unless they paid hefty fees, while digital rights activists and some politicians called this tactic blackmail damaging free speech.
- Creators like Rajat Pawar stated, "They told me to pay up or lose my entire channel," highlighting the coercive nature alleged in these copyright enforcement actions on YouTube.
- This dispute has raised wider concerns about copyright enforcement fairness, YouTube’s role, and potential monopolistic practices by ANI, with calls for governmental and platform-level reforms to protect independent content creators.
13 Articles
13 Articles
YouTuber accuses ANI of extortion over copyright strikes
YouTuber Mohak Mangal has accused news agency ANI (Asian News International) of using YouTube’s copyright tools to extort money from digital creators. Mohak, who creates current affairs videos and has millions of followers, claims that ANI asked him to pay Rs 30 to Rs 40 lakh annually to settle copyright strikes on his videos. He also says the news agency later demanded Rs 48 lakh plus GST to reverse a strike and restore access to his channel, c…
Mohak Mangal accuses ANI of extortion over YouTube copyright strikes
New Delhi, 26 May YouTuber Mohak Mangal has accused news agency ANI (Asian News International) of using YouTube’s copyright tools to extort money from digital creators. Mohak, who creates current affairs videos and has millions of followers, claims that ANI asked him to pay Rs 30 to Rs 40 lakh annually to settle copyright strikes on his videos. Here’s how South Asia’s Leading Multimedia News Agency and Pro-BJP Propaganda Agency @ANI is squeez…
MP Asks Google About YouTube’s Fair Use Policy on News Clips
Saket Gokhale, an MP and a member of the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, wrote a letter to Google on May 26 seeking clarifications on YouTube’s policy on the fair use of news content. The MP stated that he had received messages from numerous YouTubers whose content was subject to copyright strikes for the use of news clips from a news agency. These YouTubers also alleged that the agency had asked the…
Meet Mohak Mangal's Wife, Shaneez Mohinani, A 1st Generation College Kid, Works At Clocktower Group
Mohak Mangal is one of the famous YouTubers in India who make analytical videos on politics, current events and social awareness. Recently, the young creator made headlines for some copyright infringement issues involving the popular news agency, ANI. But do you know anything about his personal life? If not, then let’s dive deep into the personal life of popular YouTuber, Mohak Mangal. Mohak married his longtime girlfriend, Shaneez Mohinani. In …
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