Media & Entertainment Law

Overview

India's media and entertainment industry operates at the intersection of intellectual property law, contract law, broadcasting regulation, censorship, and an evolving OTT regulatory framework under the IT Rules 2021. Film production, music licensing, OTT content commissioning, and broadcasting each involve distinct legal frameworks — and the commercial stakes in content rights disputes are significant. Corpus Juris Legal advises production houses, OTT platforms, music labels, talent agencies, and broadcasters on the full spectrum of media and entertainment legal matters. Our practice covers film production agreements — co-production, distribution, theatrical release, and satellite rights — music publishing and synchronisation licensing, talent representation agreements, director and actor agreements, and format licensing for Indian adaptations of international content. Copyright assignment and licensing under the Copyright Act 1957, including the moral rights provisions and the reversion rights in Section 19A that often surprise content licensees, are areas of particular depth. For OTT platforms, we advise on content acquisition agreements, platform commissioning terms, co-production deals, content rating compliance, and IT Rules 2021 Part II obligations as OTT intermediaries. For film producers seeking CBFC certification, we advise on the certification process, restricted certificates, and challenge of CBFC orders before Film Certification Appellate Tribunal and the High Court. Celebrity and talent contract disputes, brand endorsement agreements, and defamation claims arising from content are also within our practice.

Key Service Components

• ◆Film co-production, distribution, and rights licensing agreements
• ◆OTT content commissioning and platform licensing agreement drafting
• ◆Music publishing, synchronisation, and master licence agreements
• ◆Copyright assignment and licensing under Copyright Act 1957
• ◆Talent representation — actor, director, and crew agreements
• ◆CBFC certification advisory and Film Certification Appellate Tribunal representation
• ◆Format licensing for Indian adaptations of international content
• ◆Brand endorsement and celebrity commercial agreement drafting
• ◆IT Rules 2021 OTT platform compliance advisory
• ◆Media defamation and content liability management

Our Approach

Media and entertainment transactions require counsel with both legal precision and commercial understanding of how content rights work in practice. We structure rights arrangements that work for the full exploitation window — not just the first release.

Other Regulatory & Compliance Services